YEA launches Eastern Regional labour migration readiness campaign

The Youth Employment Agency (YEA), through its Labour Exchange Programme (LEP), has launched a labour migration readiness campaign in the Eastern Region to equip young people with the information and skills needed to pursue safe, legal and decent employment opportunities abroad.

The regional sensitisation programme, held at Odumase-Krobo in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, brought together officials from the YEA, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Labour Department and other partner institutions to educate prospective migrant workers on legitimate migration pathways and employment opportunities.

The campaign is being implemented in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Absa Bank Ghana and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), among others.

Speaking after the engagement, Elliot Hammond of the YEA Labour Exchange Programme (LEP) said the initiative was designed partly to address youth unemployment while reducing the exploitation of Ghanaians seeking employment abroad.

He said the government had identified the activities of unregulated or improperly licensed private employment agencies as one of the challenges confronting prospective migrant workers, with some people being exploited after travelling through irregular channels.

Hammond said the Labour Exchange Programme was therefore providing a government-backed platform through which qualified young people could access international employment opportunities and migrate through the appropriate channels.

He explained that the programme was not intended to send every applicant abroad, stressing that applicants had to meet specific skills and qualification requirements.

According to him, applicants who did not immediately meet the requirements could be supported through relevant training programmes to improve their employability.

Hammond emphasized that the programme works through partnerships with countries that have identified labour needs and engage the Ghanaian government to recruit workers with specific skills.

"Opportunities could involve skilled and, where applicable, other categories of workers, with the government facilitating the process to ensure that prospective migrants were properly prepared," he furthered.

Hammond said the programme targeted young people between 18 and 45 years, including both men and women and persons with disabilities.

He disclosed that about 600 people had already been sent abroad through the programme over the past year and a half, with the process continuing.

The LEP official urged young people interested in working abroad to visit the YEA and follow the official procedures rather than relying on unverified intermediaries.

“The jobs are there. They should apply and follow the process,” he said.

Lower Manya Krobo beneficiaries

The Lower Manya Krobo Municipal Director of the YEA, Godwin Oblanda Totroku, said the municipality was the first stop for the Eastern Region campaign, which sought to bridge the information gap affecting young people interested in international employment.

She said many young people were unaware of available opportunities and lacked information on how to prepare for safe migration.

Participants were taken through topics including international employment opportunities, preparation for international employment, legal migration, financial preparedness and the role of the Labour Department in the migration process.

Totroku said the programme covered a wide range of skills, including carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, painting, welding, masonry, catering, beauty and hairdressing, baking, driving, information and communication technology, tiling and automotive work.

He noted that the YEA would create platforms through which available international job opportunities could be communicated directly to people with the relevant skills.

“When there is an opportunity, we will share it on those platforms so that interested parties will be registered and we will facilitate the travelling process for them safely,” he said.

The YEA Director disclosed that four young people from the municipality had already travelled abroad through the programme, while two others were expected to leave the following week.

He urged young people to take advantage of the opportunities and remain prepared by obtaining essential documents, including birth certificates, Ghana Cards and passports.

According to him, the municipal YEA office would continue to serve as a service and information point for young people seeking assistance with international employment and migration.

Labour Department cautions prospective migrants

One of the facilitators, Kotey Nathaniel, LEP Officer at Asuogyaman, cautioned prospective migrant workers to verify employment agencies and ensure that they were duly licensed before engaging their services.

He said prospective migrants should establish whether the jobs being offered constituted decent work and whether their employment arrangements would provide the necessary rights and protections.

He advised applicants to verify the validity of the licences of private employment agencies before committing themselves to any migration arrangement.

According to him, the Labour Department is responsible for licensing such agencies and prospective migrants must therefore take steps to verify their credentials.

He warned that some agencies continued to operate with expired licences, potentially exposing migrants to difficulties and exploitation after travelling abroad.

The sensitisation session formed part of a wider rollout of the Labour Migration Readiness Campaign across the Eastern Region, with service desks and networking opportunities provided to enable participants to obtain further information and assistance.

The campaign seeks to promote safe, orderly and regular labour migration while connecting Ghanaian youth to legitimate international employment opportunities.