Ghana struggles to meet the employment needs of its growing youth and adult population. Growing numbers of high school and university graduates go without jobs for many years at a time due to the lack of entrepreneurial or employable skills. It is estimated that over 71,000 university graduates join the jobless economy every year, compounding the already dire unemployment situation that faces basic and high school graduates and dropouts.

The crisis of joblessness and associated poverty and hunger are more pronounced in mining communities where commercial mining activities have disrupted and destroyed traditional land-based farms and sources of livelihood.  The few jobs that come with the mining operations are also beyond the reach of the economically displaced local population who typically lack the requisite qualification. Creating alternative livelihood pathways and opportunities is therefore, a critical need in these communities. This project will focus on offering entrepreneurial skills to the rural poor in the Asutifi North District so as to empower them economically and to ease the pressure on government.

The Local Economic Development (LED) is a project being rolled out by CDD-Ghana in partnership with the Asutifi North District Assembly (ANDA) to build the entrepreneurial skills of youth in impoverished communities to facilitate their economic reliance. The LED project aggregates local knowledge, expertise, skills, and other comparative advantages to promote local economic growth to provide job opportunities. Local Economic Development will also reduce poverty and facilitates sustainable and inclusive economic development.

The project is in tandem with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Ghana’s national development policy and aims at achieving a reduction in hunger and poverty, especially among rural dwellers. The project also furthers the poverty reduction targets and the entrepreneurial skills development of PwDs goal ANDA.

1. Scoping and needs assessment mission to five Districts, including Sefwi Wiawso, Bibiani Ahwiaso Bekwai, Prestea-Huni-Valley, Bia West, and Asutifi
2. Selection of project district
3. Land acquisition for the construction of the skills training centers
4. Call for applications and selection of beneficiaries
5. Project launch and commissioning of skills centers and the outdooring of the selected target group.
6. 30-Day training of beneficiaries
7. Monitoring and evaluation of business growth of the beneficiaries