Youth unemployment and joblessness together constitute a major socio-economic and political problem in Ghana. To address the challenge of youth unemployment, the Youth Inclusive Entrepreneurial Development Initiative for Employment (YIEDIE) aimed to create economic opportunities in the construction sector in five of Ghana’s largest cities. Implemented by Global Communities in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, YIEDIE provided youth with skills training in construction trades and entrepreneurship, business development services, mentoring and financial literacy, and encouraged and supported young women to seize opportunities in non-traditional occupations.

However, many of the opportunities available to youth in construction are informal, and young people need support to successfully take advantage of them. Therefore, YIEDIE partnered with the Artisans Association of Ghana (AAG) to provide market-based and sustainable services and support to youth artisans including developing a job-matching system.

This case study discusses the ways in which YIEDIE assisted AAG to better serve its members and increase its financial sustainability, and reflects on the successes and challenges of this approach to labor market intermediation in the informal sector.