Mrs. Juliana Asante-Dartey, an Agribusiness Expert and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Agri-Impact Limited, has urged Ghanaian youth to seize opportunities in agribusiness and transform from job seekers into job creators, innovators, and leaders.
Speaking to The High Street Journal, Asante-Dartey stressed that youth unemployment remains one of Ghana’s toughest challenges, with more than 300,000 graduates entering the labour market annually, yet fewer than 10 percent securing jobs within the first year.
She said this reality underscores why structured workplace learning initiatives such as Young Agribusiness Professionals (YAPP) are not just desirable but essential.
YAPP is a structured mentorship, workplace exposure, and training initiative by Agri-impact that assists students in areas like CV writing, interviews, public speaking, professionalism, gender and safeguarding, and even digital tools like AI.
“At Agri-Impact, youth advancement, skills development, and talent management are at the very heart of our mission,” she added.
She said through mentorship and exposure, young people can move from job seekers to innovators and value creators. “With the power of structured workplace learning,” she emphasized.
“These leaning modules bridge the gap between classroom theory and the demands of today’s workplace, giving participants the confidence to adapt and excel in dynamic agribusiness environments,” she said.
She said innovative modules will institutionalize youth capacity building, ensuring structured, sustainable, and accredited training pathways for young people in agribusiness.
Speaking about national service personnel, Mrs. Asante-Dartey urged them to view their year of service not as a waiting period, but as an investment in skills, networks, and entrepreneurial ideas.
“You are not just there to work or to simply pass time. You are there to gain lifelong skills and networks that will serve you, whether within Agri-Impact, in other organizations, or through ventures of your own,” she emphasized.
She charged the youth to step forward boldly and see agribusiness as a frontier for innovation and leadership.
“The future of African agriculture depends on its youth. The opportunities are vast, but require vision, resilience, and innovation. We need you not only as workers, but as employers, leaders, and trailblazers,” she added.
