The Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) has opened ten Youth Engagement Centres around the country to help young people enhance their digital and entrepreneurial abilities.
Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Cape Coast, Winneba, Sekondi, Koforidua, Wa, and Bolgatanga are among the locations.
The programme will help around 10,000 young people aged 14 to 24.
The centres, which were built in conjunction with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), would also give mentorship and the resources needed to develop policy advocacy skills to the kids.
"The opening of these centres is a huge step forward in providing an inclusive environment for the country's children to find and utilize their potential," stated Hayford Siaw, Executive Director of the GhLA.
Mr Siaw explained that the project began in September of last year to help young people "develop digital and entrepreneurship skills by accessing online courses, organizing peer-to-peer learning sessions with their community, scheduling engagements with industry leaders and mid-career professionals for career guidance and mentorship support, and also accessing tools to build their policy advocacy skills."
"This initiative is in answer to a need," he said, "which is employment availability for young people and getting them equipped with soft skills to be responsive to business demands."
"The concept behind this is that we have discovered a lot of learning gap, job gap, and skills gap for young people based on research and economic data accessible in our nation," Mr Siaw continued.
He also mentioned that the centers would have coordinators who would teach customers how to conduct interviews and write curriculum vitae (CVs), as well as how to utilize computers and the internet.
UNICEF Ghana's Deputy Representative, Fiachra McAsey, said the relationship with the GhLA was based on the government's aim of preparing the youth for the future of work via education and skills development.
"As UNICEF works with the Ghanaian government to finalize its Country Programme for 2023-2027, In conjunction with other stakeholders, it will prioritize young empowerment and involvement through creative and scalable projects," he stated.
He went on to say, "I implore teenage girls and boys, young ladies and men to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime chance for personal growth and development."