More than 2,000 unemployed graduates attend job fair in Accra
The 2019 Ghana Job Fair has been held in Accra to afford prospective job seekers an opportunity to apply for employment or educational openings in their fields of interest.
The fair which brought together close to 2,000 undergraduates from some parts of the country to apply for jobs from about 140 employers was organize by the Ghanaian –German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (GGC) and the Ministry for Employment and Labour Relations (MELR).
It is expected to provide at least 1,000 jobs to the qualified job seekers as each employer was projected to employ a minimum of three persons to compliment the government’s effort at reducing unemployment among the youth.
Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations who spoke at the launch of the fair said the initiative sort to modernize the management of the labour market.
He observed that youth unemployment had assumed alarming proportions in Ghana, a situation which has resulted in unprecedented levels of illegal migrations and thousands of needless deaths on the seas and desert.
The minister opined that there were times when unemployment was not because there were no job openings saying “Sometimes, there appears to be a disconnect between employers and job seekers, many job seekers can remain unemployed principally because they lack information about available opportunities which required their knowledge and skill sets”.
Mr Awuah stressed the need for the government and corporate institutions to create a forum that would bring job seekers and potential employers together to ensure the promotion of social inclusion and the elimination of information asymmetry in the labour market.
He noted that over the years, logistics and capacity challenges had made it difficult for the labour department in Ghana to perform its function as expected.
The Labour ministry according to him was making conscious efforts to build the institutional and human resource capacity of the labour department to make it more effective in the execution of its mandate.
The minister commended the employers who participated in the fair for making their vacancies available and encouraged the job seekers to be committed and hardworking when given the opportunity.
Mr. Christopher Retziaff, German Ambassador to Ghana projected that Ghana would be among the world’s fastest growing economies this year if the government fulfills its goal to create more jobs for the youth.
“Ghana is one of the most stable countries in Africa, a beacon for stability in West Africa with lots of economic potential and growth.” He said.
He said in Ghana, almost 60 per cent of the population was under the age of 25, and they were expected to bring about a large potential, but also with some challenges
“To tap this potential, Ghana has to provide young people with the necessary skills for the labour market and young people need to have the opportunity to use their skill in the right working environment,” he said.
Mr. Alan Walsch, the GIZ Country Director said the fair would provide a platform to promote skills match and employment as vehicles for economic growth in Ghana.
The Ghanaian-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (GGC) was according to him poised and always available to provide counselling and carrier guidance session to its clients and also link them to employment and educational opportunities.
Source: GNA