‘Use multi-sectoral approach for job creation’

The World Bank has urged Ghana to use multi-sectoral approach to boost job creation for the teeming unemployed youth of the country.

Ms Kathleen Beegle, the World Bank Programme Leader for Ghana, Sierra Lone and Liberia, in-charge of jobs, education, poverty, social protection and health, said, such a multi-sectoral approach by government to boost job creation must cover the ministries, departments and agencies, and the private sector.

She said such approach would help ease the increasing challenges the unemployed youth in the country were likely to face in securing employment.

Ms Beegle made the recommendation on Thursday during a presentation on the second day of the National Job Summit, organised by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations on the theme: “Inclusive growth through the creation of productive employment and decent work.”

Presenting the Bank’s 2013 World Development Report on Jobs, Ms Beegle said poverty falls as people work their way out of hardship, adding that, jobs were instrumental to achieving socio-economic development of every nation.

She said globally, jobs were of critical concern to governments, policy makers, the business community, and people striving to provide for their families.

The Programme Leader however, explained that, governments play a vital role by ensuring that the conditions are in place for strong private-sector led growth, and by alleviating the constraints that hinder the private sector from creating good jobs for development.

She said well-designed labour policies could help ensure that economic growth translates into employment opportunities.

She said government needs to own the “whole” problem by building skills through improving the quality of education, as well as behavioral and business skills of the people.

Ms Beegle said there was the need to create more labour intensive enterprises as fast as possible to absorb the supply of new entrants with education who want wage jobs.

She called on government and all stakeholders to promote female empowerment and focus on the poor.