The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) is grappling with significant funding and structural challenges that risk delaying the implementation of its flagship Graduates and Corporate Support Programme (GCECS), popularly known as “Greeks,” aimed at tackling graduate unemployment across Ghana.

The programme, which seeks to deploy 20,000 unemployed graduates to corporate institutions for skills training and practical experience over a two-year period, has stalled amid concerns over a potential overlap with the mandate of the National Service Authority (NSA). The NSA traditionally manages the placement of graduates for national service, raising fears of duplication and institutional conflict.

Appearing before the Government Assurances Committee, the Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, acknowledged the delay but assured that efforts are underway to harmonize the roles of the YEA and NSA. He noted that a joint framework is being developed to clearly define operational boundaries and ensure the smooth rollout of the programme by the end of 2026.

Beyond institutional coordination, funding remains a critical hurdle. The YEA’s financial capacity is currently constrained by a statutory cap tied to proceeds from the Communication Service Tax (CST). This limitation has significantly restricted the agency’s ability to scale its programmes, including the Greeks initiative.

Additionally, the agency faces a shortfall due to its exclusion from allocations under the District Assemblies Common Fund, further tightening its fiscal space.

To address these challenges, policy analysts and stakeholders have proposed several measures to remove or revising the cap on CST allocations in the 2026 national budget would provide the YEA with greater financial flexibility to fund large-scale programmes.

Reintegrating the YEA into the Common Fund framework could offer a stable supplementary funding stream was also proposed collaborating with private sector firms to co-finance training and absorb graduates could reduce the agency’s financial burden while enhancing job placement outcomes among others.

Experts emphasize that beyond funding, the success of the Greeks programme will depend on strong governance and coordination. Clear delineation of responsibilities between the YEA and NSA, transparent beneficiary selection processes, and robust monitoring and evaluation systems will be critical.

If effectively implemented, the programme is expected to significantly reduce graduate unemployment, enhance workforce readiness, and strengthen industry-academia linkages in Ghana.