The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) has called on the Government of Ghana to work towards determining the real contribution of the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) to the economy to enhance its sustainability. FOSDA made the call at the Young People’s Forum organised by the Africa Education Watch to influence the design of the NAP to ensure it is responsive and accountable to youth needs and green-responsiveness, through inclusive and evidence-informed youth engagement.

The meeting brought together experts from the National Youth Authority (NYA), Independent Skills Training Experts, Youth Groups, Youth Networks, Master Craft Persons, Apprentices in various trade and Youth focused CSOs. The forum was held at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) on 20th May, 2025.
FOSDA’s made the call on the back of disagreement among various stakeholders on the real effect of previous programs such as the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) and Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) to the economy and their lack of sustainability. According to FOSDA the allocation of 300 million to the flagship National Apprenticeship Programme which was launched by the Government in March 2025 will likely increase overtime and therefore was crucial for government to ensure that both the micro and macro economy to reap the benefits. This would increase the chances of its sustenance.

The Ag. Programmes Officer, Mr. Solomon Okai, who represented FOSDA at the forum noted that the forum addresses the 3rd most important development concern of young people (i.e. participation in decision-making processes) under the Ghana Youth Manifesto as well as contributes to the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 on Youth Peace and Security (YPS) by giving youth space to young people to influence policy.

Additionally, FOSDA called for a depoliticization of the selection of beneficiaries through the use of independent bodies and assessors and urged government to ensure continuous engagement with academia and industry in co-creating training programs that are relevant for the 4th Industrial revolution, Artificial Intelligence to enhance skills relevance to minimise skills training mismatch.