The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has launched two initiatives under the Ghana Women and Youth Employment and Social Cohesion (GWYESCO) Project to equip young people, women and persons with disabilities with practical skills and economic opportunities.
The initiatives, CREATE and EMPOWED, seek to address barriers to employment, entrepreneurship and economic participation through digital skills development, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and targeted business development support.
NEIP Deputy Chief Executive Officer Joan Selasie Ahiawordor, Esq., announced the initiatives during their official launches in Tamale and Bolgatanga.
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CREATE was launched in Tamale on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, to develop the digital capabilities of content creators, while EMPOWED, launched in Bolgatanga, focuses on vocational training and business development for women and persons with disabilities.
Ms Ahiawordor explained that the two initiatives form part of the broader GWYESCO Project, which covers seven regions: Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East, Upper West, Eastern and Central.
She said the project seeks to address limited access to structured training, mentorship, financial resources, and market opportunities, which continue to constrain many Ghanaians’ economic potential.
Speaking at the CREATE launch, she said digital platforms had become important tools for communication, business development, cultural preservation and social transformation.
She explained that CREATE would equip content creators with technical skills to improve content quality, communicate strategically across digital platforms, develop sustainable personal brands and build professional portfolios.
The initiative will also promote responsible digital engagement, with emphasis on accuracy, originality and ethical conduct.
“In an age where digital footprints are permanent, content creators must respect privacy, reject misinformation, honour intellectual property, and use digital tools with accountability,” she said.
At the EMPOWED launch in Bolgatanga, Ms Ahiawordor said the programme would provide women and persons with disabilities with practical pathways to acquire employable skills, improve their livelihoods and achieve economic independence.
The initiative will combine TVET with Business Development Services covering business planning, customer relations, financial management and market navigation.
She said the objective was to ensure beneficiaries could translate their newly acquired skills into self-employment, business expansion and sustainable employment.
Ms Ahiawordor emphasised that empowering women could strengthen households and communities through improved incomes, support for children’s education and job creation.
She also stressed that accessibility, dignity and inclusion would remain central to EMPOWED, adding that persons with disabilities deserved equal opportunities to build independent futures.
She urged beneficiaries to approach the programmes with commitment and discipline while calling on traditional authorities, local government leaders, civil society organisations and implementing partners to support effective implementation.
She said the ultimate measure of GWYESCO’s success would be the skills developed, businesses established, jobs created and livelihoods improved across its seven beneficiary regions.