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MY 15 TAKEAWAYS FROM THE LAUNCH OF THE 2024 NDC YOUTH MANIFESTO- THE PLEDGE!:
1. 24-HOUR ECONOMY (formula 1:3:3); Same job, three shifts, three people.
2. The National Apprenticeship Program:
A policy aimed at enrolling young persons with senior craftsmen to be trained in various crafts and vocations FOR FREE. Trained apprentice will be issued with a certificate at the end of their training and supported with start up equipment and funds to set up their own businesses.
3. We shall roll out the “Adwumawura” program:
This will be a special start-up policy, aimed at facilitating the creation, tracking and mentoring of a minimum of *10,000 businesses by young people every year*.
4. We will improve the FREE SHS program by:
* providing a dedicated and sustainable source of funding for the program
* abolishing the dreaded double-track system thereby ensuring that all SHS students go to school and vacate at the same time
* including private SHS in the coverage of the Free SHS program
* decentralizing the procurement of food.
5. NO FEES STRESS (FREE TERTIARY EDUCATION FOR LEVEL 100s)
* The next NDC/Mahama government, will fully absorb the academic fees of all new entrants into public tertiary institutions (Universities, Colleges of Education, Nursing Training Colleges etc.) starting from the year, 2025.
* *SIMPLY PUT, LEVEL 100 STUDENTS IN PUBLIC TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS WILL NOT PAY ANY ACADEMIC FEES, EFFECTIVE JANUARY, 2025.*
* Per the rough estimates put out by Eduwatch, this policy will cost the government about GHS275 million.
* The next NDC/Mahama government will finance this by *cutting down the outrageous GHS2 billion expenditure of the Office of Government Machinery*.
6. We shall *reintroduce and redeploy the Student Loan Trust Fund (SLTF) Plus to support continuing students* in public tertiary institutions.
* The entry point is the most difficult period for tertiary students and parents, hence our decision to cushion them by fully absorbing academic fees. Beyond that, continuing students can access the *SLTF Plus* which we will be re-introducing and redeploying to support their fees payment.
7. BED-FOR-ALL
We shall partner the private sector to develop accommodation facilities on the campuses of all public tertiary institutions to address the “in-out-out-out” policy by providing *affordable bed spaces for students on campus*.
8. FREE TERTIARY EDUCATION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITY.
We shall provide *free tertiary education for all persons with disability* who are admitted into public tertiary institutions.
9. We shall cancel the obnoxious Licensure exams for trained teachers and incorporate their licensing examination in their final year examination in school.
10. We shall once again scrap the quota system for admissions into nursing and teacher training colleges to expand students’ enrollment.
11. Above all, we shall ensure the prompt posting of trained nurses, trained health professionals in general and trained teachers. The days of automatic employment for trained teachers, nurses and other health professionals is coming back.
12. ONE MILLION CODERS PROGRAM:
We shall train *one million* young people in coding and in-demand supply digital skills for the growing BPO and KPO ecosystems.
13. We shall launch a Digital Jobs Initiative that will ensure a $3 billion investment into ICT for the creation of a minimum of 300,000 jobs.
14. PLC/SEC
We shall promote Prior Learning Certification (PLC) /Set-Up certification (SEC) to facilitate and support artisans in the informal sector to validate and improve their skills and knowledge for academic and career progression.
15. MO-NE-YO
We shall introduce an insurance scheme known as MO-NE-YO to provide special pension schemes for informal sector workers such as commercial drivers, farmers, fishermen, traders, market women, artisans among others, to improve their livelihood in retirement.
I SHALL RETURN WITH MORE.
By Sammy Gyamfi Esq, National Communication Officer, National Democratic Congress
