President Akufo-Addo shaking hands with Osei Assibey Antwi. With them is Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, at the 50th anniversary launch of the National Service Scheme (NSS) in Accra
President Akufo-Addo has dropped plans by his government to elevate the National Service Scheme (NSS) into a full-blown Authority.
This is to enable the scheme secure the needed legal framework to execute its new model, Deployment for Employment (D4E).
The announcement was made by the President during the launch of the 50th anniversary (Golden Jubilee) of the National Service Scheme under the theme: “NSS at 50: Repositioning the Scheme for Sustainable National Development” in Accra yesterday.
Speaking at the event, he said the repositioning of the scheme will empower it to support the country’s young graduands to gain experience and to contribute positively to national development.
In its current form, the NSS is mandated to deploy a pool of skilled manpower drawn primarily from tertiary institutions to support the development efforts of both the public and private sectors in Ghana.
Established in 1973, the National Service Scheme is a Government of Ghana programme under the Ministry of Education with a National Secretariat in Accra, and offices in all administrative regions and districts across the country.
Although it is a citizenry requirement for all Ghanaians who are 18 years and above, it is currently limited to and mandatory for all Ghanaians graduating from tertiary educational institutions who are not less than 18 years old.
The original intent of deploying fresh graduating youth under the NSS arrangement was to ensure that priority sectors of the national life are never lacking in the requisite human resources needed for development.
The scheme, as currently constituted, provides newly qualified graduates with the opportunity to have practical exposure on the job, both in the public and private sectors, as part of their civic responsibility to the state.
It also provides user agencies with the opportunity to satisfy their manpower needs and affords communities that would otherwise have difficulty in accessing mainstream development initiatives and access to improved social services through community service.
Core Objectives
The core objectives of the NSS are to encourage the spirit of national service among all segments of Ghanaian society in the effort of nation-building through active participation.
It is also intended to undertake projects designed to combat hunger, illiteracy, disease, and unemployment in Ghana, as well as help provide essential services and amenities, particularly in towns and villages of the rural areas of Ghana.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent