The Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has announced the development of the Ghana Labour Market Information System (GLMIS) database to enhance the Labour Department’s service delivery for job seekers.
The system, he explained, can be accessed on the World Wide Web at www.glmis.gov.gh, and is designed to provide the main interface that facilitates interaction between job seekers and employers.
Speaking in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Baffour Awuah noted that the database is part of the Ministry’s efforts under the third component of the World Bank-funded Ghana Jobs and Skills Project, which aims to support skills development and job creation.
He stated, “The Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations is implementing component 3 of the project which is focused on improving the capacity of the Labour Department for enhanced coordination of the labour market.”
The Minister further explained that the platform would provide data on skills in demand and identify gaps for training and development as well as enable employers to make informed decisions on the labour market.
“The platform allows employers to declare existing job vacancies for jobseekers to upload their Curriculum Vitae (CVs) for job-matching,” he added.
Mr Baffour Awuah indicated that the GLMIS would reduce job mismatch, unemployment and under-employment as some teething problems in the labour market that the government has to tackle, adding that the platform would enhance the coordination of the labour market
“Furthermore, as the system generates timely reports regarding the true state of the labour market, the government would be in a better position to make policy interventions for maximum impact on the labour market,” he noted.
The Minister emphasised that the project would help address the logistical and infrastructural challenges that have hindered the Labour Department from delivering efficient services.
Also, to further enhance labour administration, the Minister disclosed that the government was constructing a state-of-the-art four-story building for the Labour Department, which is now over 95 per cent complete.
“The project also includes the construction of 16 new Public Employment Centres (PECs) and the refurbishment of 48 existing ones across the country. Thirteen of the new PECs have already been completed in locations such as Yendi, Damongo, Wa and Bolgatanga, with ongoing work in Tarkwa, Atebubu and Amasaman.
“Moreover, the government has procured over 80 motorbikes, 4 SUVs and 21 pick-up vehicles to improve labour administration. These investments will also strengthen the country’s Early Warning Systems, which are critical for detecting and averting industrial disputes, thus maintaining a stable labour environment,” he added.
Mr Baffour Awuah also highlighted the growing problem of fraudulent employment schemes.
He noted, “There is a rise in scams where criminals are posing as representatives of the Ministry, falsely claiming to be recruiting for various public and private sector jobs and demanding payments from unsuspecting applicants. This issue is becoming increasingly widespread.”
The Minister cautioned that the ministry is collaborating closely with security agencies to track down and prosecute those responsible for these scams.