MIT partners NSS to improve job creation
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has started a two-year programme on innovation and entrepreneurship to create jobs and deliver better outcomes for graduates from the country’s educational institutions.
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The MIT is rolling out the programme, known as the Regional Entrepreneurs Accelerated Programme (REAP), in collaboration with the Ghana National Service Secretariat (NSS), youth programmes, the private sector and academia.
A statement issued by the REAP Ghana team said the programme started with an initial workshop, to be followed by three more over the next two years, adding that REAP was targeted at young graduates and unemployed young people.
Actions to be taken during and after the programme include realigning national resources and institutions to deliver effective support for the youth.
According to the MIT REAP team, “it has been impressed with Ghana's human capital and is eager to make our journey and outcomes a model for other developing countries”.
Launch
The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, said at the inauguration of the programme in Accra: “This initiative is overdue and a priority of the government. We have human capital, and by working with the best, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will deliver prosperity to all Ghanaians by providing opportunities for all our young people.”
The Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, is championing the Ghana REAP team working through the NSS.
Collaborators
Cities and countries that are collaborating with MIT on similar initiatives under the REAP programme include London, Madrid, Hebron, Lagos, Melbourne, Glasgow, Russia and Ecuador.
The rest are Lebanon, Singapore, Morocco, King Abdullah Economic City and Japan.
The programme taps into MIT’s world-renowned capabilities of leveraging learnings from other countries, as well as the rigour associated with this world-class institution.
According to a statement issued in Accra, it was the first time the collective leadership of youth programmes was being reengineered to make them 'fit for purpose'.
Other agencies expected to benefit from this project initiative include the National Youth Authority, the Youth Employment Agency, the National Board for Small-Scale Industries and the National Vocational Training Institute.