All too soon, the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) has chalked three-and-a-half years after being introduced in the country as part of efforts by government to deal with the problem of youth unemployment in the country and the evidence for this laudable programme is there for all to see.

It has helped to ease pressure on unemployed graduates from our tertiary institutions. As a result, many of them can depend on their own selves for their basic personal expenditure instead of depending on their parents or guardians.

JOB MARKET

The programme is meant to prepare them adequately for the future job market and to make them more competent regarding their employable skills. If such skills are not well developed, it will adversely affect the employment potentials of such graduates.

All these go to show the significance of the programme which has come in at the right time to address the unemployment problem facing the youth. It is for this reason that the marking of at least three years of the programme is most appropriate, very welcome and also constitutes a step in the right direction.

At the same time, a new Module has been launched known as NABCO Skills and Talent Academy.This module is meant to unearth the skills and talents inherent in the personnel who are to operate under the programme. Other new modules have been included in the NABCO programme.

UNTAPPED SKILLS

Many a time, skills and talents of individuals, though essential, are left untapped and unexplored leading to much waste in human resources that could be utilised to turn round the fortunes of the nation and push it to a higher level of progress and development. Individual talent of the youth ought to be thoroughly tapped, explored to its full potential and developed to its full potential as a way of helping to maximise productivity at all fronts in all sectors in the economy.

Ultimately, a new module like the NABCO Skills and Talent Academy, will lead to increased job satisfaction and morale among the beneficiaries as future permanent employees, increased employee motivation, increased efficiency in processes, resulting in financial gain, increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods as well as increased innovation in strategies and products. Thus, the progamme has great potentials for the entire country.

TRANSFORMING THE COUNTRY

What is being done today is what is necessary to transform the potential of the country in terms of increased productivity which will ultimately lead to maximum employment of the youth and generate massive and extensive welfare through economic development in the country. Carefully examined, NABCO has come as a strategic stop-gap measure meant to address youth unemployment in the country and bring down needless tension in all parts of the nation.

It is a programme that must be supported by everyone as a way of creating employment, even if on temporary basis for now, to bring about economic peace while we are given some room to adequately operate and manoeuvre in  more comprehensive socio-economic terms for the common good for the nation. We expect all NABCO beneficiaries to put in their best and make maximum use of the opportunity provided them under the programme. Any form of indiscipline should never be tolerated.

ISSUE OF UNEMPLOYMENT

All over the world, the issue of unemployment today keeps threatening the peace and survival of mankind. This explains why Ghana’s innovative approach to the problem of unemployment must be appreciated and supported by all. Despite the challenges ahead, Ghana will have to work hard to emerge victorious in the fight against unemployment. This is because the ultimate success of the NABCO programme depends on all stakeholders so let us work hard towards its desired purpose.

The disturbingly unpleasant and unpalatable unemployment situation facing the world today is a matter of great concern to all governments, seeing that it is a problem that cannot be easily ignored or swept under the carpet.The reason for this is not far-fetched because unemployment is a potentially exclusive situation that can disturb the peace in any country. It is for this reason that efforts being made by the government of Ghana to address the problem are most welcome.

The intervention measure through the creation of a Nation Builders Corps has come in at a time when the youth of this country were almost reaching the level of hopelessness and anxiety in their socio-economic lives.  To begin with, it has helped to ease pressure on unemployed graduates from our tertiary institutions. As a result, many of them can depend on their own selves for their basic personal expenditure instead of depending on their parents or guardians.

WHAT IS NECCESSARY

The point has already been made that what is being done today is what is necessary to transform the potential of the country in terms of increased productivity which will ultimately lead to maximum employment of the youth and generate massive and extensive welfare through economic development in the country. Carefully examined, NABCO has come as a strategic stop-gap measure meant to address youth unemployment in the country and bring down needless tension in all parts of the country.

Rome was not built in a day but through systematic gradual systems and policies that had helped in the transformation of socio-economic development. If Ghana is also to move ahead and compete favourably with other countries in the world, then we need to think of internally generated economic programmes that will help to transform the development agenda of the country.

TEMPORARY MEASURE

There is no doubt that NABCO is only a temporary measure that cannot be said to have solved the unemployment programme the country is facing. However, thinking about the numerous young persons who are now employed, even if temporarily, with an income that cannot be said to be adequate for complete survival, it is important for us to recognise that the nature of the stop-gap measure of the programme has come to solve some problems that the youth in the country were facing.

Certainly, NABCO cannot be the final blueprint for unemployment in the country. However, it is helping to deal with a problematic situation in form of unemployment that is confronting the youth in this country. It is a creative way of dealing with the unemployed situation, on temporary basis, while we allow the economy to expand and provide a form of improved employment for people in the country.

This is important because we must succeed!!!

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Pradmat2013@gmail.com (0553318911)

By Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Bediako