To support job creation and the growth of local businesses, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation under its European Union in Ghana-funded, GrEEn Project, has organised the second of its Green Regional Job Fair in the Western Region.
This was in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), the Labour Department, and the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs.
The event was held on Tuesday, 22 November 2022 at the Takoradi Mall Forecourt in the Western Region, the Green Regional Job Fair in the Western Region under the theme, “Green and Circular Economy: A sure way to creating decent & sustainable employment and jobs’’ and brought together over 500 job seekers, employers, and exhibitors from the green and circular economy.
Over 20 businesses were present with more than 100 vacancies and openings accessible to youth, women, and returning migrants who participated in the Green Job Fair.
In a speech delivered on behalf of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Executive (MCE) Mr Abdul Issah Mumin by Assistant Director, Mr Francis Kofi Amoah said the SNV’s focus on promoting employable and entrepreneurial capabilities for the youth, women and returnees in the sectors of In economic In opportunities are laudable as they seek to support sustainable and climate-resilient local economies through the creation of green jobs.
Another area of intervention worthy of mention by SNV is the promotion of small and medium enterprises to offer decent and sustainable jobs to the youth, women and returnees while being mindful of contributing to green and climate-resilient local economies.
Speaking on programs being implemented by SNV in the region, he said, “I am glad to inform you that, STMA in partnership with the European Union is implementing a three (3) year programme dubbed “Twin Cities in Sustainable Partnership Project”.
The program is aimed at training small-holder farmers, unemployed women and youth in urban agriculture. To this end, a demonstration farm with greenhouse technology has been constructed in
Sekondi to train beneficiaries in vegetable farming, snail farming, and rabbit farming among a host of others.
Delivering a speech on behalf of Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Minister for Employment and Labour Relations (MELR), Madam Gloria Bortele Noi, Director for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at MELR said the organisation of these regional job fairs is a manifestation of the huge importance Government attaches to the creation of decent and sustainable employment.
She said, “As a matter of fact, these Job Fairs could not have come at a better time than
this. I, therefore, seize this opportunity to commend the organisers, SNV-Ghana, European Union, Association of Ghana Industries, and other partners for their sustained interest in the sector and commitment to sustainable employment creation.”
She added that the newly introduced “YouStart” Initiative would complement existing programmes to create more decent opportunities and green jobs for the youth. As a government, we would continue
to roll out more programmes and interventions to enable the 6 teeming youth to exploit their fullest potential for national development.
Mr Laouali Sadda, Project Manager of the GrEEn Project also said one of the key tools SNV has adopted in facilitating this is skills development. Under our flagship, Opportunities for Youth Employment (OYE) Programme, SNV Ghana is working together with institutional and skills training partners to provide practical and employable skills to young people looking for jobs.
Following this skills development, they go a step further by matching skills to opportunities in the green and circular economy by linking youth job seekers to employers, coaches and mentors so they can receive on-the-job technical skills, business development support or internship opportunities through the
OYE internship programme.
He added that under OYE and as part of our #GrEEnProject, they have been rolling out job fairs with the aim of preparing job seekers by offering CV Review support, career guidance and counselling and connecting job seekers to green employers. Since the inception of the GrEEn Project and from 2020 to 2021, SNV Ghana organised a total of 10 jobs fairs: 8 at the local level together with Municipal and District Assembly partners in the Western and Ashanti Regions (Ahanta West, Wassa Amenfi, Nzema East and Jomoro in the Western region).
