NABCo to end in September, trainees asked to take advantage of YouStart
One of the government’s flagship programs, the Nation Builders Corps (NABCo), is scheduled to
end by September 1, 2022. The programme which was initially supposed to run for three years had to be extended for an additional year.
Though the government invested approximately GH¢2.2 billion into the policy, a number of the corps complained about the non-payment of allowances by the government.
The programme was said to have ended in October 2021 though trainees were asked to keep working.
At the presentation of the 2022 budget, the government assured that the YouStart programme and a Digital inclusion program would gradually absorb the remaining NABCO trainees.
NABCo was introduced by the Akufo-Addo-led administration in 2017 as part of a job creation plan.
“Mr Speaker, our iconic National Builder’s Corps (NABCo) programme, which was initially to run for three years and extended for an additional year, will be completed by 1st September 2022,” Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta said in Parliament on Monday, July 25, 2022.
He said: “As they exit, the current cohort on the programme are encouraged to take advantage of YouStart initiative and other existing programmes in our drive to build an Entrepreneurial Nation.”
“Government’s policy is to support dynamic young entrepreneurs to access training and funds to build their businesses and become a significant pool of job providers for their fellow young people,” the minister added.
YouStart programme is a novel initiative by the government to promote entrepreneurial activities and provide jobs, particularly for the youth.
It is the government’s special purpose vehicle to provide funding and technical support to the youth and youth-led enterprises to assist them to start, build and grow their businesses.
