The Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) in collaboration with the Knowledge Platform on Inclusive Development Policies (INCLUDE) is implementing the “Youth Economic Inclusion through Next Generation Local Economic Development (NGLED)” project in 5 local government (LG) jurisdictions (districts) in Ghana. The project is an action research which seeks to provide evidence towards the adoption of a national programme on ‘Next Generation Local Economic Development’ (NGLED) to create sustainable decent jobs and income growth for unemployed graduate youth. 
The 3-year action research will provide opportunities to analyse entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial attitudinal change among young people and LG officials respectively when trained and facilitated to pursue productive economic activities for sustainable job creation and income growth. The project aims at setting-up 5 youth business groups of 4 persons each (a mix of young men and women) and supporting them with hands-on entrepreneurial skills to enable them develop business products for the market. Under the management of the Centre for LED at ILGS, the project will support hands-on intrapreneurial skills among the district assembly officials and together with the youth groups operate public-private partnerships (PPPs) for local economic development (LED). A special purpose vehicle (SPV) will be established to manage the NGLED programme.
The 5 District Assemblies that have been selected for this action research are:
- Atiwa East – Livestock production (Poultry)
- Sekondi Takoradi – Livestock production (Goats)
- Nsawam-Adoagyiri – Aquaculture (Catfish production)
- Awutu Senya East – Aquaculture (Catfish production)
- Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem – Aquaculture (Catfish production)
The districts were selected on the basis of their LED strategic plans, proximity to Accra (to allow for effective monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)), and commitment of the respective District Assemblies to ensuring the success and long-term sustainability of the project.
As part of the process, the ILGS-LED Centre organised a 2-day training workshop on 18th and 19th June, 2024 to train the youth groups and LED officials of the selected district assemblies on entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial skills development. Objectives of the workshop were to:
- explain the purpose, strategies and activities of the project;
- discuss the rudiments of entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial skills and mindset, and team building;
- provide opportunities for the youth groups and their LGs to present their projects to experts, government officials, some development partners and private sector practitioners/experts in their chosen fields;
- discuss the SPV and the institutional arrangement for its operations and management; and
- prepare the youth and LG officers for the project take-off
The workshop was attended by unemployed graduate youth, officials of district assemblies, private sector practitioners and development partners. Activities at the workshop included discussions and practical sessions on the following:
- Overview of the Youth Economic Inclusion Project
- Entrepreneurial Skills, Teambuilding and Business Development
- Intrapreneurial Skills Development
- Developing Fish Farming: What you Need to Know
- Poultry and Animal Rearing: What you Need to Know
- The SPV, Institutional Management, Procurement & Contractual Issues
- Issues Emerging and Next Steps of the Project
The youth groups also made presentations on their respective projects.
