YES Leader: Mr. Emmanuel Edudzie
Email: edudzie@yesweb.org
Website :YES-Ghana

Vision : To be a leader in motivating and guiding the young people of the country to lead their own community change initiatives.

Background : The lack of structural transformation of the Ghanaian economy constrained the development of new and better employment opportunities and a fuller utilization of the labor force. Under the economic reform programs, higher rates of growth have not improved employment for a large segment of the working population and formal public and private sector jobs have declined. Persistent unemployment and underemployment remain central features of the economy.

About the Network : YES-Ghana is a non-governmental organization which has formed coalition of youths and youth-serving organizations nationwide, working in the area of youth employment. It has an Advisory Board of five members who are dedicated to sustainable development and youth empowerment, and a seven-member Steering Committee who work with relevant stakeholders for the promotion of a sustainable and productive future for young people in Ghana. The network is working towards increasing the employment opportunities by improving the support mechanisms necessary for entry into the job market and by promoting young people’s participation in national policy dialogue on employment.

Current Major Initiatives:

• Through the Youth Development Dialogue Series, YES Ghana is collecting youth policy options from various stakeholders and engaging the policy makers to ensure a holistic approach to policy development.
• Career Resources Centre with support from the UNDP under the Annual Workplan for Civil Society. This Centre serves as a one-stop-shop for information and advisory services on career development with reading, online resources, updated database of job vacancies, business opportunities and funding prospects. In 2007, the Centre was upgraded to a state-of-the-art facility and its thematic scope expanded beyond ‘careers’ to become Ghana’s first and only Development and Career Resource Centre for youth.

Key Accomplishments :

• Championed the establishment of the Ghana MDG Youth Platform, which now represents the voices of young people across the country
• Lobbied with the government to become a Lead Country of the YEN
• In collaboration with the UN Millennium Campaign, YES-Ghana’s Youth and MDGs program is generating consensus amongst thousands of young people to take a pivotal role in the national MDGs campaign, and mobilizing partners for action.