The Member of Parliament for the Agona East Constituency, Hon. Queenstar Maame Pokua Sawyer, has launched a new driving school aimed at equipping young people in the constituency with professional driving skills and improving their employment prospects.
The initiative forms part of efforts by the MP to address youth unemployment by providing practical, employable skills that can enable beneficiaries to secure jobs and establish sustainable livelihoods.
According to the MP, the driving school will provide young people with the opportunity to acquire the requisite knowledge and practical skills needed to become professional drivers and obtain valid driving licences.
She noted that access to employable skills remains critical in tackling unemployment, particularly among young people, and stressed the need for interventions that equip the youth with practical competencies relevant to the job market.
Hon. Sawyer said creating employment opportunities for young people remains one of her major priorities as the representative of the people of Agona East.
She explained that the driving school is expected to serve as an avenue through which young people can acquire a valuable skill that could increase their chances of securing employment both within Ghana and beyond.
The initiative is also expected to contribute to improving road safety by ensuring that prospective drivers receive proper training before obtaining their licences.
Some residents and community members have welcomed the establishment of the driving school, describing it as a positive intervention that could help empower young people and improve their economic prospects.
They said providing the youth with practical skills could reduce their dependence on limited formal employment opportunities while enabling them to explore different avenues of income generation.
Residents have, however, appealed to the MP and other stakeholders to expand similar skills-development programmes to cover more young people across the constituency.
They also called for the creation of sustainable employment opportunities and additional vocational and technical training programmes that can equip the youth with skills in areas such as agriculture, information technology, construction, mechanics and other trades.
Hon. Queenstar Maame Pokua Sawyer assured constituents that her office would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to introduce more youth-focused programmes designed to promote skills development, employment and economic empowerment.
She said the driving school represents part of a broader commitment to supporting the youth and contributing to the socio-economic development of the Agona East Constituency.
The initiative is therefore expected to provide beneficiaries with a practical pathway to employment while complementing other efforts aimed at reducing youth unemployment and improving livelihoods in the constituency.
Story by Joseph Cobbina
