Absa Bank says it is committed to advancing inclusive finance to the youth to help them create their own businesses and achieve their dreams.

“Absa Bank believes that the future looks more promising than ever for countless young minds and investing in their dreams and aspirations will help to develop them into tomorrow’s leaders,” the bank said in a statement cop­ied to the Ghanaian Times in Accra on Wednesday.

It said in a world full of opportunities, young minds often find themselves at the intersec­tion of ambition and uncertainty.

According to the bank, the youth were eager to conquer their dreams but lacked the means to do so.

    

“Recognising the potential within the youth, Absa Bank Ghana has been on a journey to support young people with initiatives that are not only to empower the next generation of leaders but also to foster a bright­er future for all,” the bank stated.

Nurturing dreams and un­locking potentials, the bank had demonstrated its commitment to fostering economic growth and social progress for young people which would help to empower Africa’s youth.

Through innovative pro­grammes and strategic partner­ships with organisations, such as the Mastercard Foundation, Absa Bank said it had been forging an inclusive financial ecosystem where every young individual had the tools, knowledge, and opportuni­ties to thrive.

The statement said the bank had supported and upskilled hundreds of Micro, Small and Me­dium-scale Enterprise businesses under the Mastercard Foundation Young African Works (YAWs) programme.

It said as part of the pro­gramme, Absa Bank had been or­ganising a series of capacity-build­ing Small and Medium-scale Enterprises clinics across the country, reaching nearly 250 small businesses this year, and providing financial support to accelerate their business growth.

On education and skills devel­opment, the statement said im­proving education outcomes was one of the critical social challenges in Africa today.

“To demonstrate ourcom­mitment to improving Science, Technology, Engineeringand Mathematics (STEM) education in Ghana, the bank has embarked on several initiatives aimed at nurtur­ing talents for a brighter tomorrow. The bank has collaborated with the IPMC, an educational tech­nology institution, to provide and equip hundreds of students with practical Amazon Web Service cloud computing skills and other soft skills to give them future-fit skills,” the statement said.

It said the bank had supported the promotion of the National Science and Maths Quiz for the last three years because it strongly believes in the gains that the study of STEM could deliver to the development of the country.

The statement said employers were increasingly looking for people who were agile, flexible, adaptable, proactive, creative, and collaborative.

“The Absa Ready-to-Work programme is designed to provide young people with the needed skills that will help them transition smoothly from the lec­ture room to the world of work,” the statement said.