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Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Bright Acheampong, has said given that youth unemployment constitutes a threat to national security in the country, there is the need to harness the potential of youth in Ghana and help them build on their skills.

According to him, to enable the state deal with the youth unemployment menace in the country, technical and vocation studies must be made compulsory in the schools to provide them with skills to create jobs for themselves.

Mr Acheampng indicated that in most of the advanced countries including Germany, technical and vocation skills education have been made compulsory and so students leave school not looking for jobs but creating jobs.

Speaking on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5FM hosted by Chief Jerry Forson on Thursday, September 14 Mr Achempaong said: “The number one problem which is a national security concern is unemployment. This requires that some drastic measures should be done.

“If you go to Germany now, as part of their education there is technical and vacation aspect which is compulsory. That helps in building the talents and creative potentials of the youth and so when they leave school their skills are polished.

“We have to develop the creative potential of the youth in Ghana to create wealth for themselves and their families. That is the area the NYA is focusing on at the moment. As we create jobs for the youth, we are also extending support to their entire family.”