On Friday, 25 November
2022, the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) commenced training for over five
hundred (500) personnel as Prison Office Assistants (POA) at the Prison
Officers’ Training School at Ankaful in partnership with the Ghana Prisons
service.
The personnel currently
under training form part of the over two thousand (2000) young men and women
who are being recruited across the country to support the prisons Service
delivering their mandate of transforming
inmates into socially acceptable characters suitable for reintegration and conducive cohabitation in
society.
At the opening ceremony,
the Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) of YEA, Alhaji Bashiru Ibrahim,
speaking on behalf of the CEO, Mr. Kofi Baah Agyepong, admonished the trainees
to show commitment, dedication and love for mother Ghana as they go through
training to become part of one of the highly-rated disciplined institutions,
the Ghana Prisons Service.
“Many a time, we look
down on our prisons as a place where condemned members of the society are
kept.Inas much as it may appear so, there is an arduous responsibility on us to
help change these persons into new characters suitable for conducive
co-habitation in society. Today, a modern prison is not just a place for
custody but a place to reform, rehabilitate and reintegrate social deviants
back into the society. It is my understanding that this training is tailored to
achieve just that”, Alhaji Bashiru said.
He further assured them
of YEA’s novel arrangement with the leadership of the Ghana Prisons Service, to
absorb all Prison Office Assistants into their mainstream service, after they
have successfully served their two (2) years contract with the YEA as part of
the exit plan.
The exit plan is a super
strategy instituted by the management of YEA to find permanent jobs for the
beneficiaries.
On behalf of the Director
General of the Ghana Prisons Service, the Director of Human Resources
congratulated the new recruits for making it through all the processes that
qualify them to participate in the training to become Prison Office Assistants
of the Youth Employment Agency and the Ghana Prisons Service.
He assured that the
trainers will instill in the personnel maximum discipline, dedication and
service to mother Ghana.
As a key stakeholder of
the Criminal Justice System of Ghana contributing to the maintenance of
internal security by maintaining an efficient, humane, and safe reformatory
penal system operated within the laws of Ghana, it is expected that the
personnel will work with vigilance, fortitude, and integrity while helping in
the reintegration of ex-convicts into society.
Speaking to the media,
the Central Regional Director of the Youth Employment Agency, Sarah Afful,
stated that the second batch of recruits are expected to begin training after
successful application and shortlisting.
Providing decent and
sustainable jobs are the focus of the vision of President Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo and Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for the youth of this
country.
The YEA will continue to
provide a smooth vehicle to produce the desired result.