Mobile phone repair skills help young people earn income

21 January 2021

Plan International Ghana, alongside MTN Ghana, supported young people to learn skills in repairing mobile phones.

Young

Young people graduate from skills training.

The youth economic empowerment project equipped 100 young people who are out-of-school or training with skills so they can earn an income.

The young people graduated after undergoing an intensive 10-day training programme from which they received certificates, tools and kiosks so they could begin work after completing the course.

Comprehensive training

Areas covered by the training programme included:

  • Repairing mobile phones
  • Maintaining a safe and secure work environment
  • Introduction to mobile phone technology
  • Basic customer service
  • Front-end repairs.

Maud Tsagli, IT Manager at Plan International Ghana, said the organisation believed in equipping young people with employment and skills to support the country to meet Sustainable Development Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth.

This project is contributing to young women’s participation in the telecommunication sector.

She said there was a need for a rapid shift towards transformative training systems to develop the knowledge, skills, and creativity needed to secure the future of young people and enable them to acquire decent jobs.

More training needed for young people

Despite being recognised as drivers of social and economic development, vocational skills and entrepreneurship training are not readily available for young people. In addition, technical training has low appeal.

Maud Tsagli said, “This project is contributing to young women’s participation in the telecommunication sector.”

Mrs. Nabilla Williams, Board Member, MTN Foundation, said COVID-19 had opened people’s eyes to many uses of mobile phones for work, school, sales and marketing, religious activities, family affairs, streaming of events, and everyday conversations.

Once in a while, there may be software and hardware problems which users cannot fix on their own, she said, making the project important and timely.

Young people out of work in Ghana

According to the World Bank, Ghana has 12% youth unemployment and more than 50% underemployment, both higher than the rates across Sub-Saharan African countries. Based on this, the MTN Ghana Foundation, committed GHS445,000 (€34,000) to support the training of 100 young women and men in Nsawam and Suhum.

“As part of the project, we are providing start-up tools and kiosks. We hope that young people will take advantage of this opportunity to prepare themselves to take on the future. We are confident that this intervention will help reduce youth unemployment as well as contribute towards the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal 8,” said Mrs Williams.

Mr. Isaac Kwadwo Buabeng, the Municipal Chief Executive of Adoagyiri Municipal Assembly, thanked MTN Ghana Foundation and Plan International Ghana for their support. “It is such a relief to see young men and women who are committed to developing and securing their future through hard work,” he added.

Skills and work, Livelihoods, Vocational training

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