ILO Launches Strengthening the Impact on Employment of Sector and Trade Policies (STRENGTHEN) project: Ghana

ACCRA (ILO News): The International Labour Organisation (ILO) with financial support from the European Union (EU) implements Strengthening the Impact on Employment of Sector and Trade Policies (STRENGHTEN) in Ghana. The ILO in close collaboration with the Ministries of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) and of Trade and Industry (MoTI), the social partners, and other national stakeholders; recognizing this gap in knowledge on the effects of trade and sectoral policies on employment creation in Ghana, officially launched the 28-month STRENGHTEN project on 13th October, 2016. The Project focuses on two main components;

a) Employment Impact Assessment of Public Policies in Selected Sectors

b) Assessing and Addressing the Effects of Trade on Employment.

Following the launch, a national inception workshop was held ending on 14th October, 2016. Stakeholders unanimously adopted the project work plan and the ensuing action points:

i) Commission a desk review of Trade and Sector Policies with a focus on coherence with employment creation,

ii) Focus on selected productive sectors namely: Agriculture, Infrastructure and Rural Development in synch with the National Employment Policy (NEP);

iii) Focus on the Yam value chain for employment creation and expansion of trade;

iv) Assess training/skill needs for capacity building of relevant stakeholders based on the productive sectors of the NEP and

v) Undertake specifically a re-assessment of the Value Chain Analysis

Key activities of the project include; Methodology Tools and Assessments, Capacity Building, Social Dialogue, Programme Implementation in Skills for Trade and Economic Diversification (STED) and Trade and Value Chains Employment-Rich Activities (TRAVERA).

The Tripartite partners, Government of Ghana through its Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Ghana and the Ghana Employment Association (GEA) and other relevant stakeholders expressed the timeliness of and gratitude to the ILO and EU for the ‘’ STRENGTHEN’’ Project, and pledged their continued support towards the achievement of its objectives and ensure a fifteen (15) - member Policy Working Group was inaugurated.

Ghana is one of the six countries where the project “Strengthening the Impact of Sector and Trade Policies on Employment” is being implemented.