'Europe is ageing, Africa is young' - Opare Addo pushes labour partnership

Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has urged European countries to deepen partnerships with Ghana on legal labour migration, arguing that Africa’s youthful population can help address Europe’s growing labour shortage.

Speaking at the launch of the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme under the theme “Skills Beyond: Resetting Ghana Through Youth Technical Excellence and Global Workforce Integration,” Opare Addo said the programme would create structured opportunities for young Ghanaians while helping partner countries fill critical workforce gaps.

According to him, Europe is grappling with an ageing population, while Africa has a growing youth population ready to work.

Govt launches Ghana Labour Exchange Programme to boost youth employment

“Any time I engage members of the European Union, I’ve always told them that you have the problem of labour shortage and we have the same issue. But we can only address these challenges through collaboration and partnership,” he said.

The minister warned that without legal pathways for migration, many young Africans would continue to risk their lives through irregular routes into Europe.

“When we toured Europe recently, we discovered Europe is ageing and Africa is very young. They will find ways of getting to you if there is no structure. If they have to take the dangerous route to get into your country, only God knows whom they would come into contact with before arriving,” he stated.

Opare Addo further noted that Ghana’s Labour Exchange Programme would provide a structured system that allows qualified workers to travel legally after undergoing the necessary background checks.

“We can guarantee that, as partners, we will work together to ensure the right kind of people enter your country, with proper background checks and information on them,” he added.

He also stressed that the government remains committed to creating opportunities that empower young people through skills development and international employment.

“We must, as a government, find innovative ways to create that environment for our young people. This is a structured programme, and it is here to serve our young people,” he said.

Also speaking to the media, CEO of Nayt Consult, Agyenna Kesse-Techi, noted that the company has spent four years building a credible labour migration system before officially launching its partnership with the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment.

He explained that the company prioritised strengthening its structures and operations to distinguish itself from fraudulent recruitment schemes that have plagued the sector.

"We believe in building structures and ensuring that whatever we are doing does not get caught up in the aura around scams. The ministry realised we were creating legitimate pathways for young people to work abroad, so we took them to Germany to meet our off-takers and appreciate what we are doing. That led to this formal collaboration, which gives the ministry oversight over our operations," Kesse-Techi noted.

JHM/AM

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