Representatives from government, academia, the private sector, and youth-led organizations came together at the Youth Employment and Skills (YES) Chapter Pan African Coalition for Transformation (PACT) Knowledge Café in Accra, united by a shared aim — to enhance Ghana’s policy development through inclusive discussions, youth input, and industry involvement.
Mr. Eric Safro, the Team Lead for Skills and Innovation at Youth Opportunity and Transformation in Africa (YOTA) and the coordinator for the main institution executing YES PACT in Ghana, stated that the initiative aids government policies throughout their entire process — from creation to execution and assessment.
“Instead of opposing the government, we collaborate with them, bringing young individuals, technical specialists, and industry representatives to the discussion,” he remarked.
The Knowledge Café platform, a key feature of YES PACT, promotes youth engagement in policy formation through ‘knowledge products’ such as newsletters and policy briefs. During the event, members of the Young Diplomats of Ghana shared two briefs — one focused on education and the other on employment — along with a newsletter centered on education.
These documents examined how current policies impact youth and provided specific suggestions.
A significant highlight was the conversation regarding Ghana’s ICT in Education Policy, featuring input from the Ministry of Education, the Sector Skills Board, and youth organizations. Attendees discussed ways to incorporate youth feedback into policy and ensure that digital resources in schools meet industry standards.
Mr. Safro stressed the necessity of including local languages to improve access to digital resources. “Language can hinder access to ICT. If individuals can use technology for entertainment in their native languages, why not for education as well?” he asked.
Mr. Sammy Amegayebo, the Executive Director of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) and Chair of the Sector Skills Body for Construction, highlighted the importance of the industry in influencing technical education.
“As the main beneficiaries of skills training, we need to steer policy to meet industry requirements,” he stated, emphasizing that technical and vocational training is vital for Ghana’s industrial growth.
While praising the ICT in Education policy initiative, Mr. Amegayebo also pointed out the issues related to language diversity. “Using local languages is a good idea, but with more than 40 languages in Ghana, we might need to implement a dual system — one local and one international language — for effective execution.”
Both speakers emphasized that having a skilled, digitally savvy youth population is crucial for Ghana’s future, and achieving this goal demands inclusive, youth-focused, and well-coordinated policy initiatives.