Ghana Career and Migration Fair 2024 Launched

The Ghanaian-European Centre for Jobs, Migration and Development in collaboration with the Labour Department of the Ministry for Employment and Labour Relations, Youth Employment Authority and Wealth and Jobs Agency, has launched the Ghana Career and Migration Fair 2024, in Kumasi.

The media launch was held at the Golden Bean Hotel on Tuesday, September 3, 2024.

This year’s flagship event designed to empower the youth by providing access to tools and knowledge in digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and skilled migration will start on October 15 and end on October 16 in Kumasi.

Speaking at the event, the Head of the Ghanaian-European Centre for Jobs, Migration and Development, Mr. Andreas Berding emphasized that the fair comes at a crucial time where Ghana is faced with a growing unemployment rate of approximately 14.7%, with over 1.3 million young people aged 15 to 35 currently unemployed.

These figures, he indicated, reflect the broader challenges across Sub-Saharan Africa, where the youth unemployment rate staggers around 9% with the situation even dire among vulnerable groups particularly females.

“In response to this challenge, the Ghanaian-European Centre has been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the gap between job seekers and opportunities,” he noted, adding that one of their key initiatives in this regard is the annual Job and Career Fair.

“The fair is designed to empower our youth by providing access to resources in digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and skilled migration. The fair will serve as a platform for employers and job seekers to connect directly. Additionally, through a series of information sessions, participants will gain access to valuable tools and knowledge on entrepreneurship, skilled labour migration to Germany and the broader EU market, as well as insights into educational opportunities in Europe.”

He opined that since its inception in 2019, the Ghanaian-European Centre, through the job and career fair, has been a cornerstone in connecting employers with job seekers, linking approximately 16,891 job seekers with 413 employers and filling of over 1,258 job vacancies.

For his part, the Project Manager for Wealth and Jobs Agency, Mr Arnold Asafu-Adjaye, said Kumasi was strategically selected to host the Fair this year due to its large informal sector of the country coupled with scarce job opportunities and urged all to take advantage of the fair.

The Chief Executive Officer of VOLKSWAGEN GHANA doubling as the Vice President of the Africa Automotive Manufacturers Association, Mr. Jeffery Oppong Peprah in his remarks stated, their outfit is well poised to help grow the Auto Industry in Ghana.

He underscored the need for skill development among the younger generations.

“Aside from nurturing the coming generation, their Outfit is working tirelessly to help build a development Centre to work together with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) or the TVETs for training which will offer Certificate Courses for the Informal Sectors in the Country. I will Applaud the Suame Magazine workers for their impact in helping raise and train other younger People to achieve Skilled training, however, our office is ready to break them into the lives of the New development, the high-tech of new Technology in the auto industry,” he added.

Speaking to Opemsuo News on the sidelines of the event, the Deputy Chief Labour Officer of the Labour Department of Ghana, Mr Fredrick Abakah, revealed that his outfit’s role in the partnership.

“When these Skills are being provided, thousands of Youth will be employed Specifically in the Entrepreneurial Sector by Creating their Own Jobs which will lessen the burden on the government. Ghanaian-European Fair 2024 is a platform to Curate entrepreneurship skills to the unemployed youth, which is a huge platform for Job seekers, I will Urge all and sundry especially the youth in the Ashanti Region to make good use of the profitable Platform for their own benefit and life transformation.”

Meanwhile, Bebrehene Nana Kyerematen Kusi Obuodum who represented Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II as the Guest of Honour commended the brains behind the Fair and urged the youth to take advantage of it.

Story By: Johnson Owusu Aduomi