Govt still tossing us for permanent employment - NABCO Trainees cries out

The Trainees of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), a government flagship programme initiative to address graduate unemployment to solve social problems have lamented that they are still not being employed by the government as promised by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

According to them, the NABCO contract which was rolled out by the central government to unemployed graduates to help upscale them with requisite skills meant to augment their practical work experience has ended with the government making them unemployed. 

Following this development, scores of graduates on the programme have charged the government to fulfil promises made to retain them in their corporate environment prior to the 2020  general election to save them from retrograding to their unemployed state. 

The Trainees noted that the remarkable and relentless sacrifices they have demonstrated in their corporate environment towards national development must be awarded permanent jobs.

"Our engagement with Anita Fonowaa, a trainee under the Heal Ghana module, appealed to the government to mechanize Trainees to help upscale their financial muscles for a better standard of living.

Bismarck Nortey, another Trainee under the Enterprise module told this reporter that the introduction of NABCO was targeted to reduce the hike in graduate unemployment that have riddled the country over the years, thereby calling on the government to honour its promises of integrating them into the permanent mainstream job setting as a pragmatic measure to curb all menaces associated with unemployment.

He stressed that, if government act strictly to the core objectives of the NABCO program, it will drastically reduce the youth involvement in galamsey, armed robbery and all other menaces which is a threat to Ghana's security and development.

Speaking in an interview with this news outlet, the Public Relations Officer (PRO)for Coalition of NABCO Trainees (CONAT), Nana Tachie hinted that apart from a series of verbal promises by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government during the electioneering to absorb Trainees, the core objective of the programme was emphatically stated in NABCO appointment contract, that is, to improve skills and employability for the transition from programme to permanent, for which reason, it is the responsibility of the government to act to reflect the core objective of the NABCO initiative.

The PRO added that though COVID-19 and its ravages have left a devastating wreck on all sectors of the economy, the government should not use COVID-19 as an excuse to exonerate itself from the demands of hard-working Trainees. 

The PRO stated that the Trainees are abreast with the practicality of the job field and for that matter, the government should base on their skills and experiences acquired within the three years period in the corporate environment to provide Trainees sustainable livelihood. 

Another interaction with Prince Abban, a trainee with Tema general hospital said, NABCO was birthed purposely to resource unemployed graduates to augment their practical work experience for future jobs, "in order not to waste the skills acquired by Trainees, the government must prioritize us  for permanent jobs and  support some section of  Trainees who selected  entrepreneurship as their exit pathways."

Madam Regina Addo, a 41-year-old Trainee nurse, admonished the government to institutionalize NABCO with a legislative instrument to serve as a formalized platform for graduates to roll on after national service as a way of upscaling themselves with requisite skills while also eradicating the hike in graduate unemployment in the country.

She also appealed to the government to lace the scheme with the better condition of service with better remuneration, including SSNIT contribution to help safeguard the future of Trainees. 

"Though the government has launched the career pathway transitioning process meant to aid NABCO trainees to migrate to permanency, entrepreneurship or further learning, the lurid spiral of silence from the government and the chief executive officer of the program, Dr Ibrahim Anyars at the verge of the completion of the three-year contract has aroused concerns among most Trainees. 

"The NABCO contracts ends Friday 29th October 2021. Will the government honour its promises within the few days left ?" he queried.

  Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu