Businesses and private sector organisations in Koforidua have been called upon to actively participate in shaping a new phase of a city development initiative aimed at strengthening youth economic empowerment.
The appeal was made during a technical session organised by the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly in collaboration with the STAR-Ghana Foundation, as part of preparations for the implementation of “The Our City Kofkro Phase II”.
The initiative seeks to create an enabling environment for young people to access economic opportunities, in line with the development plan of the New Juaben South Municipal Assembly.
Addressing participants at the session, Municipal Chief Executive Ransford Owusu Boakye welcomed partners and stakeholders for honouring the invitation to contribute their expertise to the municipality’s development agenda.
He said collaboration between public institutions, the private sector and civil society was essential to strengthening the municipality’s human resource base.
Mr. Boakye also encouraged participants to propose practical strategies that would help bridge the gap between available skills and the demands of the labour market.
“We are grateful to our partners and stakeholders for coming on board to support this process,” he said, noting that the municipality was keen to harness ideas that would translate into sustainable opportunities for young people.
Portfolio Manager at STAR-Ghana Foundation, Raymond Danso urged participants to critically examine the project’s proposed priorities and strategic focus areas.
He encouraged open discussion on the key implementation considerations of the initiative to ensure that the final framework reflects the needs and realities of the local economy.
According to him, constructive feedback from the private sector and other stakeholders would help refine the programme and improve its chances of delivering meaningful economic benefits for the youth in Koforidua.
The technical session forms part of a broader consultative process aimed at ensuring that “The Our City Kofkro Phase II” is implemented with strong stakeholder participation and practical input from the business community.