Justin Kodua Frimpong, the chief executive of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), is hoping to introduce a roadmap and a policy document to facilitate the export of human labour from Ghana.
Statistics show that every year, roughly 120,000 young people join the labour market in Ghana after graduating from school.
Speaking with Asaase News, Kodua Frimpong said the implementation of the policy could help fast-track a reduction of unemployment in the short term.
“And as I speak with you various stakeholders within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, our sector ministry – Employment and Labour Relations – the Labour Department and Immigration Service are working out a module on a roadmap and also a policy document on how to send people outside.
“It includes the processes that one has to go through, the company that we are going to, the institutions and embassies,” he said.
“Once we are able to do it, you can think of the number of employment opportunities that we can create for the youth of this country. So that is another way of tackling youth unemployment in the medium term.”
Bridge the job gap
Meanwhile, the maiden Youth Employment Agency job fair has kicked off at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC).
Over 120 companies and business owners so far have registered and confirmed their participation, exceeding the initial minimum 50 firms earmarked to take part.
A statement issued by the YEA said: “This development is a clear indication of a positive response, especially by the private sector, to help to push the One Million Jobs Agenda of His Excellency the President and to support the Youth Employment Agency to address the unemployment menace confronting the youth of Ghana.”
The two-day event is scheduled for Thursday 9 September and Friday 10 September 2021, and will be centre around the theme “Bridging the Job Gap in Partnership with the Private Sector”. The venue, AICC, will be open between 9am and 5pm each day.
The primary objective of the YEA Job Fair is to provide opportunities for jobseekers to go through live interview sessions towards getting hired by participating companies. The fair also seeks to introduce job avenues that are in the offing or on offer by the companies and business owners.
Participating companies will be given access to a large pool of qualified jobseekers who are ready to be interviewed. Apart from the live interview sessions and recruitment, jobseekers will be given free training in preparing their curriculum vitae, preparation for interviews, careers advice and so on.
This is the first time the Job Fair is being organised since the YEA JobCentre was launched in October 2019. The JobCentre has made it possible or over 3,000 young people to gain permanent employment in both the public and the private sectors.
Regional fair
The YEA plans to replicate the fair in the other regions to draw the JobCentre closer to prospective jobseekers across Ghana.
The regional fair is slated to commence in the Volta regional capital, Ho, on 23 September 2021.
The YEA has assured jobseekers that those who do not find employment immediately at the Accra fair but who are suitably skilled or qualified will be listed for employment in the near future.
Fred Dzakpata
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