ILO and Partners Inaugurates Green Jobs & Green skills Project in Ghana

The implementation of the Integrated Action for Green Jobs and Skills Project has officially taken off in Ghana, following a meeting of project implementation partners on the 18th of April 2024. The project implementation partners, and stake holders include various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Organised Labour, Employers Association, Private Sector, Informal Sector, Social Partners, Development Partners, Academia and Research Institutions and Civil Society Organisations.

The Project, which is to be implemented over a 48-months duration spanning from 2024 - 2027, is linked to key national policies, including, the National Green Jobs Strategy, the Education Strategic Plan (2018-2030), the Education Sector Medium Term Development Plan (2022-26), and the Strategic Plan for TVET Transformation (2023-27).

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations to open the Meeting, the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr. Kizito Ballans traced the inception of the Project to Ghana’s signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2016 and the subsequent efforts of the Government to develop and implement its own Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) aimed at emission reduction and an improvement of the impacts of climate change on livelihoods and the environment. The Minister noted that the subsequent calls from all stakeholders to ensure a just, equitable and fair transition to environmental sustainability to mitigate any adverse labour market impact spurred the development of the National Green Jobs Strategy and other similar Policies and Strategies.

The Minister therefore noted that the Integrated Action for Green Jobs and Green Skills Project was a natural offshoot of all the measures that Government and the Partners have been working on for a just transition to an environmentally sustainable economy.

In concluding his remarks, the Chief Director, on behalf of the Minister, expressed his appreciation to the ILO and the EU for collaborating to ensure that the Project was started. He assured the Partners of Governments commitment to ensure that the interventions were well coordinated and harmonized to achieve the much-needed impact.

In his response, the Head of Macroeconomics and Trade at the European Union Delegation in Ghana, Mr Timothy Dolan, expressed his delight that the Project was getting the attention it deserved. He pledged the commitment of the Delegation to support the achievement of the objectives of the just transition through the promotion of green and digital skills.

The Director of the ILO Country Office Abuja, covering, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and ECOWAS, Dr. Vanessa Phala, on her part thanked all the Project Partners for their commitment so far in ensuring a smooth start of the Project. She assured the Stakeholders of the commitment of the ILO to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of the Project to achieve the desired impact on livelihoods and the environment.

The Integrated Action for Green Jobs and Skills Project developed pursuant to the EU-Ghana Pact for Skills Programme focuses on three main objectives, namely,
• The promotion of policy coherence across skills-development programmes and environmental policies to promote green and digital jobs.
• The reinforcement of national/sectoral constituents’ and stakeholders’ capacities to address skills gaps, design and implement skills strategies for green and digital economy.
• The relevance and accessibility of competency based TVET programmes that respond to current and future labour market needs.