The Wealth and Job Agency has launched the inaugural Wealth and Jobs Expo Ghana to provide support for businesses and entrepreneurs to help address the unemployment situation in the country.
The Expo’s mission is to empower entrepreneurs and aspiring business leaders which is the driving force behind economic growth and prosperity. Thus, the agency aims to provide a dynamic platform where visionary entrepreneurs, seasoned business professionals, and investors can converge to inspire, educate, and collaborate.
Speaking to the gathering at the expo’s launch in Accra on Wednesday, Sandra Darkoa Ofori, a partner with the Wealth and Jobs Agency, highlighted the goals of the initiative as unleashing a wave of entrepreneurship and innovation through strategic investments in people.
“We believe that by investing in people and unlocking their potential, we can unleash a wave of entrepreneurship and innovation that will together propel our economy forward from years to come,” she stated.
The Wealth and Jobs Expo Ghana will be held at the Accra International Conference Center from the 22nd to the 23rd of May 2024 under the theme, “The power of starting small.”
Coordinator of the Wealth and Jobs Agency, Arnold Asafo-Agyei who engaged the press on the sidelines of the launch, stated that the initiative represents a private sector effort to create opportunities and support for youth with skills, aiming to effectively utilize them.
He stated “We know that government is doing their fair bit, we’ve heard about the likes of GEA working on a few things, the NEIP and so on. However, this is solely private sector-led, can’t just sit back and do nothing so we need to make sure that we’re moving things forward and in moving things forward we are creating opportunities for people who have skills and they need to utilise these skills.”
So many have opportunities at home, in their fingers, right here they have ideas, how do they turn those ideas into reality? As difficult as it sounds it is achievable. You need money, you need resources, administrative support, legal support and so on. So those are the sort of things that the Wealth and Jobs Expo will provide”, he added.
Deputy Minister for Finance, Dr. John Kumah, also present at the launch, expressed concern about the unemployment situation in the country. However, he emphasized the government’s commitment to curbing the menace, including providing support to private sector agencies willing to help bridge the unemployment gap.
“Last year, E-levy generated GH¢1.19 billion and as part of dealing with the job situation… unemployment situation, government has committed funds through YouStart from this E-levy sources…to GEA and NEIP to address the unemployment situation in the country, and I am happy to announce that institutions like Wealth and Jobs Expo and all private groups that are willing to help create jobs in the private sector will also be supported to help create jobs and businesses in the private sector,” the deputy minister said.
Meanwhile, astute entrepreneur Dr Ernest Ofori Sarpong, the chairman of the event, in his closing remarks, charged all stakeholders to collaborate in the fight against unemployment.
