The Upper East Regional Library will soon roll out a new program known as Youth Engagement Center to among other things develop digital, entrepreneurial, and advocacy skills of young people in the region.
Ghana Library Authority (GLA) with support from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is establishing Youth Engagement Centers across the country to create a safe and inclusive environment both physically and digitally, where young people including the disadvantaged groups can benefit.
The project seeks to develop digital entrepreneurial and advocacy skills; encourage peer-to-peer learning and provide mentorship and job-matching support for young men and women in the country.
In an exclusive interview with A1 NEWS shortly after a workshop to train regional librarians and coordinators, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Library Authority, Hayford Siaw noted that, as part of the Authority’s mandate of linking Ghanaians to knowledge resources, it is equipping libraries with learning and skills development centers like the Youth Engagement Center to train young ones on entrepreneurial skills that will put them in a better position to create their own jobs.
“One of the key roles that this Youth Engagement Center which we are going to establish at the Bolgatanga Library is to be able to help young people that need direction and support in digital and entrepreneurial skills. We are also going to provide mentorship and job matching support at the Youth Engagement Centers.”
Mr. Siaw indicated that these centers will be offering free services to everyone who is interested in developing his/her career in Information Technology and other related areas. He has therefore admonished young people to take advantage of these Youth Engagement Centers.
Mr. Siaw said there has been an upgrade of most of the library facilities across the country. The Ghana Library Authority has stocked regional, community, and school libraries to improve the services provided by the authority.
The workshop was organized by the Ghana Library Authority for Regional Librarians, district librarians, coordinators of Youth Engagement Centers, and other stakeholders in the education sector from the Northern, Upper East, and Upper West regions.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Samuel Adagom|Ghana
