The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, has stated that the adoption of Precision Quality (PQ) as the National Quality Policy will add value to the Ghanaian labour force and raise the quality of local products to meet international standardisation.
According to the Labour Minister, with over 70 percent of the workforce employed in the informal sector, there is a need to set standards and quality measures that will ensure production in the centre meets the internationally accepted criteria; hence, Cabinet’s adoption of PQ cannot be overemphasised.
He emphasised that PQ enhances the integration of young people and equips them to meet industry standards in the workplace in ensuring quality service delivery that meets clients’ requirements.
“As you are already aware, the informal sector acts as a safety net for the formal economy by allowing the unemployed and unemployable to find work or start their businesses, boosting income and alleviating poverty.
“I am hopeful that the adoption of PQ, with Cabinet approval to become a National Quality Policy, this will add value to the Ghanaian labour force and raise the quality of local products to meet international standardisation,” he said.
The Labour Minister made these remarks in a statement read on his behalf by his deputy, Bright Wireko Brobbey, at the third National PQ anniversary, under the theme: ‘The Precision Quality Policy Framework: A Building block for systems change and industrial transformation’.
PQ is a term to highlight the importance of precision and quality in job creation. It has multiple dimensions but has a key focus on precision in industry, services and processes to ensure that all goods, services and processes are of world-class quality.
The PQ curriculum consists of five training modules: change to growth, process integration, people and team development, health and safety in the workplace, and managing quality and customer relations.
Constance Swaniker, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Design and Technology Institute (DTI), a pioneer in the development and implementation of precision quality (PQ) curriculum in the country, commended the government and all stakeholders for the passing of the Ghana standard bill that gives opportunity and unleashes the potential for job creation.
“For the last few months, we’ve been working with SMEs and artisans through their associations on a lot of training in their local language and at the level of their understanding. We need to shape the mindset of people and artisans working in the informal sector to embrace standardisation and opportunities that exist with it to improve their work.
“Africa has become one big market, making it easier for African countries to trade among themselves. Ghanaian businesses can only thrive and grow when goods and services produced meet internationally accepted quality standards. PQ is the guarantee to achieve that,” she added.
Ghana now has policies and laws in place that would use PQ to transform with the support of employment and labour relations, trade & industry and education ministries.
The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) – with support from DTI and working with the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and stakeholders in both the public and private sectors – developed and published Ghana’s first ever Framework Document for PQ.
The annual conference is an initiative of DTI in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation, which aims to highlight the critical role PQ plays in providing the skills and mindset needed for the production and delivery of high-quality goods and services.
