Youth Employment Push: Over 200,000 Jobs Targeted Under Revamped Initiatives
By: Nana Kwasi Roka
Ghana’s Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has announced a bold plan to create over 200,000 jobs for Ghanaian youth under revamped government initiatives aimed at tackling unemployment and expanding social protection.
Presenting the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review Statement in Parliament on Thursday, July 24, 2025, Dr. Forson said that youth employment remains a top national priority, and government is aggressively scaling up programmes under the YouStart Initiative, Youth in Agriculture, Digital Jobs Acceleration and Community Engagement Models.
“Our young people are our greatest asset. We are mobilizing resources to provide them with skills, capital and opportunity,” he said.
Breakdown of Employment Targets
According to Dr. Forson, the combined impact of ongoing and new initiatives is expected to generate 208,000 new jobs by the end of 2025. The job creation breakdown includes:
YouStart Programme: 60,000 youth-led businesses to receive funding and mentoring
Youth in Agriculture: 50,000 jobs targeting graduates and rural youth in agro-processing and mechanized farming
Digital Ghana Jobs Initiative: 30,000 digital freelance and BPO jobs for skilled youth
Green and Infrastructure Jobs: 20,000 jobs in renewable energy, sanitation, and road maintenance
Social Interventions & Internships: 48,000 under NABCO transition, NSS and LEAP-related projects
Financing the Youth Agenda
Dr. Forson disclosed that government is allocating an additional GH¢1.2 billion to support the youth employment and entrepreneurship drive, sourced from:
● Domestic revenue mobilization
● Development partner support (including World Bank and AfDB)
● Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) innovation grants
● Ghana CARES “Obaatan Pa” recovery programme
He emphasized that disbursements will be performance-based, and youth will be empowered through skills development hubs, mobile training vans and digitized application platforms.
Social Protection for the Vulnerable
In addition to job creation, Dr. Forson said government is expanding key social protection programmes:
LEAP (Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty): Beneficiary coverage expanded by 15%
NHIS (National Health Insurance Scheme): More indigents to be enrolled
School Feeding Programme: Adjustments made to improve caterer payments and meal quality
Disability Fund: Disbursement transparency improved through digitized monitoring
“No Ghanaian will be left behind in this recovery effort,” Forson assured Parliament.
The Outlook
Many observers have welcomed the renewed focus on jobs, noting that unemployment – especially among graduates – remains one of Ghana’s most pressing challenges.
Dr. Forson concluded with a passionate plea to young Ghanaians:
“We are building a future of dignity, productivity and hope. Take advantage of the programmes. Your government is investing in you.”
