The SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, under the European Union-funded GrEEn Project, has concluded its third and final GrEEn Regional Job Fair in the Ashanti Region.
On Tuesday, 26 September 2023, the Prempeh Assembly Hall in the Ashanti Region buzzed with energy as job seekers, employers, and exhibitors gathered for the programme.
The programme was under the theme: ‘Career Prospects in TVET: The nexus of green jobs for inclusive transformational development.’
The event brought together over 500 participants from various sectors, all in pursuit of green job opportunities and solutions in Technical and Vocational Education and Training. More than 40 businesses registered to participate, offering job opportunities to youth, women and returning migrants who had previously engaged with the GrEEn Job Fair initiative.
To ensure job seekers were well-prepared, SNV Ghana, in partnership with local organizations, conducted a two-day CV Review Clinic. This initiative aimed to refine job seekers’ CVs and boost their readiness for the job openings available at the fair.
The exercise was in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Ghana TVET Service, the Labour Department, the Association of Ghana Industries and the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs.
The project Manager for GrEEN at SNV Ghana said business development interventions would be rolled out for the entrepreneurs to encourage more young people to start green businesses.
“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, we 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”, he said.
He also reaffirmed the SNV’s commitment to promoting sustainable job creation and commended all partners for supporting the initiative.
Touting the successes chalked over the years, Mr Sadda mentioned that the GrEEN project aside from job creation and skills training has supported green businesses. A total of 125 SMEs have received various financial and advisory support to expand their business. Over five million dollars in matching grants have also been awarded to over 90 small and medium-sized businesses under the project.
In a speech read on his behalf, Employment Minister Ignatius Baffour Awuah noted the fairs were a manifestation of the huge importance the government attached to the creation of decent and sustainable employment.
He said, the job fairs had come at a better time and commended SNV-Ghana and partners “for their sustained interest in the sector and commitment to sustainable employment creation.
14 job fairs have so far been organised at the district (8) and regional (6) levels since 2020.
GrEEn is funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa with an amount of EUR 20,000,000 from the EU and co-funding from SNV and UNCDF and is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development.
Reporting By Jonathan Ofori, Ashanti Region
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