The Widows and Orphans Movement (WOM), an advocacy non-governmental organization, recently organized a one-day career exposure workshop for young people engaged in the informal sector in the Upper East Region. The workshop, supported by funding from ActionAid Ghana, brought together participants from the Young Urban Women Movement (YUWM) and Activista, two youth groups affiliated with the organizations.
The aim of the event was to expose young people in the region to positive behaviors and attitudes that would enable them to pursue their chosen trades and achieve success. The workshop featured resource persons from the Ghana Enterprise Agency, a state institution, who provided valuable insights and guidance to the participants.
Private entrepreneurs, including welders, electricians, and barbers, also shared their personal journeys in business, inspiring and enlightening the youth about innovative measures they could employ to start their own ventures. This was particularly beneficial for those who had completed their apprenticeship training and were ready to embark on their entrepreneurial journeys.
Ms. Fati Abigail Abdulai, the Executive Director of WOM, explained that the career exposure workshop aimed to inspire the youth to have determination and succeed in their chosen careers in the informal sector. She emphasized that the main goal was to facilitate meaningful employment for young people, thereby reducing the national unemployment rate, promoting self-reliance, and achieving sustainable youth empowerment.
Ms. Abdulai highlighted the work that WOM and its partners had been doing over the years to address issues of abuse in the informal sector and create a conducive learning environment for apprentices. However, she acknowledged the need to address attitudinal challenges and bridge the gap between the youth and trainers. Some trainers accuse the youth of laziness and a desire for quick money, while the youth complain about the lack of jobs and ill-treatment by trainers. The workshop aimed to address these issues and ensure that young people are gainfully employed in their chosen trades and are able to complete their training.
The Executive Director noted that job opportunities in the formal sector were limited and encouraged young people to consider careers in the informal sector, especially in technical and vocational fields. She emphasized that the informal sector could be lucrative, citing the example of a mason earning GH₵100.00 per day, which translates to GHS 2,000.00 per month, a higher income than many graduates earn.
One of the participants, Mr. Jacob Avogo, a welder engaged in the manufacturing of trailers and farm implements, highlighted the importance of self-determination in building a successful business. He encouraged the youth to invest the little resources they have into the trades they have learned.
The youth expressed gratitude to WOM and ActionAid Ghana for their support over the years. They acknowledged that besides helping them address human rights abuses in their workplaces, the career exposure workshop provided them with valuable insights and knowledge to succeed in their future endeavors.
Ms. Dorcas Zoogah, one of the participants, shared that she was inspired by the stories of the resource persons who faced challenges at the early stages of their businesses. She urged her colleagues to learn from their experiences and apply them to their own career paths.
The career exposure workshop organized by WOM serves as a platform for empowering young people in the Upper East Region, equipping them with the necessary skills, knowledge, and inspiration to pursue successful careers in the informal sector. It emphasizes the importance of determination, self-investment, and awareness of the opportunities available in the informal sector.
