The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation to support the implementation of actions to boost green employment and enterprise opportunities in the country.

The MoU is under the Green Project, a four-year joint project with a £20 million funding from the European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa, the Netherland Embassy in Ghana and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).

Under the agreement, which was signed in Accra yesterday, the two parties will work together to create synergies between the Green Project and existing agencies and departments of MELR to create more green jobs for the youth in the country.

The ministry will also provide policy direction and strategic advice on how the Green Project can support job creation in the green and circular economy, as well as institute coordination mechanisms for the implementation of the project at the national level.

Green jobs are those that are decent, sustainable and have regard for protecting the environment or making efficient use of resources.
They include those in agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, information and communications technology.

Creating of decent jobs

The Deputy Minister of Employment, Mr. Bright Wireko-Brobby, who signed on behalf of the ministry, indicated that through the project, the ministry was going to support the creation of conducive sub-national eco-systems that would enable the creation of sustainable and decent jobs.

That, he said, would include supporting the generation of knowledge for the project and the overall green sector by serving as a key resource or guide for project-related studies or assessments that focused on youth workforce development and the green economy.

“We will also mainstream the objectives of the green project and the nation’s green job strategy into relevant committees at the national level to share experiences and technical support towards green jobs and the promotion of green jobs,” Mr. Wireko-Brobby added.

He further announced that the ministry was also developing a National Green Jobs Strategy to focus on the implementation of four key interventions to support the creation of green jobs.

The interventions, he said, were the Green Coordination Capacity Development Project, Green Skills Development Project, Green Enterprise Development Project and Green Enterprise Financing Project.

The deputy minister indicated that cumulative effect of the interventions was to green the environment for effective coordination of green intervention and supporting green enterprise development for jobs creation.

“It is important for us to note this short-term project is pivotal to the implementation of the Green Jobs Strategy because effective coordination is key to all other components,” he added.

Improving abilities

The SNV-Ghana Country Director, Mr. Anjo Van Toorn, said the project was aimed at creating green jobs and promoting the growth of a climate resilient and the circular economy in the country.

He said it would also help to improve the ability of women and the youth to take advantage of green jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities to help strengthen a local enabling environment that supported youth employment.

Mr. Toorn said already the SNV Netherland Development Organisation was working with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development through the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to support the creation of sustainable jobs for the youth, women and returning migrants.