Employment

From the Upper West to the Ahafo and Bono East regions, the Springboard Road Show 2025 is igniting a wave of energy, hope, and empowerment among Ghana’s youth. The nationwide tour, running under the Ghana Grows programme, has drawn thousands of participants to its regional stops in Wa, Techiman, and Bechem, uniting traditional leaders, municipal executives, educators, and young entrepreneurs behind one shared vision, to transform agriculture, skills, and enterprise into engines of national growth. Now in its most ambitious edition yet, the Road Show is touring all 16 regions of Ghana, targeting over 500,000 young people, including young women and persons with disabilities. Each stop reflects the heartbeat of Ghana’s regions, distinct youth voices in one mission: to build a generation ready to grow. In the Upper West Region, the Road Show’s stop at the Wa Technical Institute was a blend of culture and purpose. Chiefs, opinion leaders, and the children of the esteemed Yaa Naa lent their presence in symbolic support of youth development. Alhaji Issah Nurah Danwanaa, Municipal Chief Executive for Wa, highlighted agriculture and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) as critical levers for sustainable development. “Together, let us drive agriculture and ATVET as the engines of youth and women empowerment for regional development,” Hon. Danwanaa urged. His remarks echoed the government’s commitment to revitalizing Planting for Food and Jobs Phase II and aligning TVET reforms with industry and agribusiness opportunities. The event underscored the growing synergy between traditional leadership, local governance, and national programmes in ensuring that young people, especially in northern Ghana, are equipped with the skills and confidence to lead. In the Bono East Region, the Springboard youth conference found expression at Techiman, where Hon. Kwaku Adjei Mensah, the Municipal Chief Executive, rallied young people to see agriculture not as a fallback, but as a frontier of innovation and enterprise. “Agriculture remains one of the most promising sectors for our youth,” he said. “It offers vast potential for innovation, employment, and enterprise.” The event spotlighted the intersection of mental health, mentorship, and entrepreneurship, with participants engaging in sessions on resilience and business start-ups. Members of the Ghana Grows Girls Club shared their success stories, including Ellen Anyaki, who turned e-mentoring and food processing lessons into a thriving garlic and ginger paste business, and Haggar Sackey, founder of Evert & Co., a youth-led soap production venture now training senior high school students. These stories personify the transformation Springboard seeks, from passive job seekers to proactive creators of value. At Bechem in the Ahafo Region, the traditional voice took centre stage. The Chief of Bechem, Nana Opaw Nwomaso Boampong Bekoe, called on government to expand support for agriculture, agribusiness, and ATVET programmes, describing them as “the true pathways to national wealth creation.” “When you go to Kumasi, most of the big houses belong to farmers,” he said. “These are the kinds of programmes the government should sponsor because they prepare young people to create real value.” The Bechem gathering featured hundreds of youths eager to learn from the success of Ghana Grows participants like Esther, who after attending the Empower360 Resin Arts Training in Accra, launched her own business and now mentors others. Hon. Charity Gardiner, Ahafo Regional Minister, commended the Foundation for its focus on young women in agriculture, noting that nearly 80% of participants in Ghana Grows are female, breaking traditional barriers in agribusiness and entrepreneurship. Across Wa, Techiman, and Bechem, one truth stands out, the Springboard Road Show 2025 is more than a series of events; it is a national awakening. It connects policy with people, and inspiration with opportunity, reshaping how young people see their potential. Under the leadership of Comfort Ocran, Executive Director of the Springboard Road Show Foundation, and Albert Ocran, Technical Director, the movement blends storytelling, mentorship, and enterprise development into a transformative model for youth inclusion and empowerment. “True capital begins with what’s in your hands,” Comfort Ocran reminds participants. “Diligence, integrity, and tenacity build businesses that last.” As the 16-region tour continues, the Road Show is cultivating a new generation of purpose-driven changemakers, young people who are not just dreaming of the future, but building it, one skill, one business, and one community at a time. Marketing and Communications Springboard Road Show Foundation