Industry players from the private and public sectors will converge in Accra on September 19 to offer over 5,000 jobs to Ghanaian job seekers and entrepreneurs. About 100 employers are to participate in the maiden edition of the 17-day Ghana Report Jobs and Entrepreneurship Fair which is to end on October 5, 2024. The event, an initiative of the Ghana Report, a news portal, is designed to help mitigate the unemployment challenges in the country by connecting job seekers with employers and empowering aspiring entrepreneurs with the needed tools, knowledge, and networks to succeed. Speaking at the launch of the Fair, Ms Rashida Saani, the Chief Executive of the Ghana Report, said unemployment remained a major challenge that needed to be addressed due to the dire implications on the country. She said that aside from reporting on the issue, the media organisation saw it prudent to organise such an event as part of its corporate social responsibility to implement initiatives to address the challenge. She assu red participants of a fair and transparent process as job seekers and entrepreneurs would be assessed on their qualifications, skills, and value proposition. 'By eliminating biases and ensuring a merit-based selection process, we aim to level the playing field and ensure that every capable Ghanaian has an equal chance of finding meaningful employment regardless of the background or connections.,' she said. Activities lined up for the event include talk sessions to provide insights to job seekers and entrepreneurs, rapid skill acquisition programmes, entrepreneurship support that will lead to three-tier funding support for selected business ideas, job matching and a musical concert to climax the event. Mr. Kwasi Afriyie, Director of Corporate Affairs at Youth Employment Agency (YEA), said the state agency decided to be a partner of the event due to the threat youth employment posed to the security of the country. He said the introduction of skills acquisition as part of the event activities was in line wit h the policy direction of the YEA to focus on skill development and empowerment. 'Unemployment is a difficult task for everybody, and it is always a burden for the governments of Africa looking at the numbers that are unemployed. Mr Sani Adib, a security analyst, said it was important for the country to address 'structural and fundamental issues' affecting the youth of the country to avert any situation of insecurity that could be politically motivated. 'Youth are always a catalyst for the spread of politically motivated violence during elections,' he added. Source: Ghana News Agency