Gov’t Considering Innovative Ways To Create Jobs

Once again, and more diligently than ever, countries all around the globe including Ghana, are saddling up to lead a campaign for an economy that is transiting towards a low-carbon, green and climate-resilient economy.

It is for this reason that management thinkers from all sectors of Ghana’s economy have gathered to deliberate on strategies and innovative ways to create jobs that would make the environment more sustainable and give opportunities for children yet unborn.

Speaking at the National Dialogue on Decent Work and Just Transition to An Environmentally Sustainable Economy and Society for All, held in Accra on Wednesday, the Deputy Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Mr Bright Wireko-Brobbey said it would almost be impossible for Ghanaians in the face of very advanced technology to have the same jobs that are present today, in 20 years.

“The world is moving at a fast rate and we need to be thinking of how people are losing jobs and how we can let them get jobs innovatively but in doing so we have to be conscious of the environment,” he said.

Mr Brobbey added: “Government in collaboration with social and development partners must collaborate effectively to bring on board the Decent Work issues to enable us as a country reap the full benefits.”

Just Transition to Create More Jobs

According to Dr Moustapha Kamal Gueye, a Policy Specialist at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, “it would be possible to create an additional 60million jobs in the green economy.”

He however underpinned the truth that in creating new jobs, there would be a displacement of other jobs in sectors where transition would happen.

These areas he said may include waste management and energy sectors as countries take an energy transition.

To remain relevant in the face of economic transitions, Dr Gueye suggested on-the-job training for those who are going to be displaced and reiterated the need for skills development.

Economic diversification and transformation

In ensuring a sustainable transition, the Communication Director for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Mrs Angelina Tutuah Mensah, highlighted the need for economic development that included the diversification and transformation of resources from less productive to more productive sectors and activities.

In explaining this she said, “After 2020, certain countries in Europe or most countries in Europe and America are going to diversify their technology and their development.

“They are going to have electric vehicles. If they do have electric vehicles, what is going to happen to our oil that we have discovered because most of them may not be buying,” she explained

“It is important and imperative that we look at some of the areas that certain countries like Saudi Arabia―what do they do with their oil fund? Because they have diversified their oil industry. So, we must look at that and diversify our oil industry,” Mrs Tutuah Mensah stated.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]