The Design and Technology Institute (DTI), a state-of-the-art technical and vocational education training (TVET) institution, is set to host the fourth annual National Precision Quality (PQ) Conference to deliberate on labour market information systems for job creation, especially among the youth.
The conference, which is under the auspices of the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), and the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is slated for Friday, June 30, 2023 at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
The conference aims to highlight the critical role of PQ in providing the skills and mindsets needed to produce and deliver high-quality goods and services under the theme ‘Labour Market Information Systems to Galvanise Job Creation and Strengthen Collaboration among Stakeholders’.
The conference will bring together industry, academia and other stakeholders to collaborate on the development of skills and the promotion of precision quality. It will also showcase practical examples of PQ in the public, private and informal sectors.
These examples will be used to make a case for strong partnerships between training institutions, relevant organisations, and industry stakeholders.
Also to be discussed is the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University’s (SIPA) report on the establishment of an alternative, dynamic and user-friendly Labour Market Information System (LMIS). The LMIS will complement the government’s strategy to produce a world-class workforce by building a demand-driven, robust labour market and skills intelligence system.
This year’s PQ conference has speakers such as the Greater Accra Market Association’s President and Business Executive, Mercy Afrowa Needjan. It also features experts, including the Director General of National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr. Kodjo Mensah-Abrampa; Vice Chancellor, Ho Technical University, Prof. Ben Honyenuga; Founder and CEO of Cadling Fashions and KAD Manufacturing Ltd., Linda Ampah; Artisans Association of Ghana (AAG), Gideon Bidor; Director of Research and Policy at the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Dr. Kwabena Nyarko Otoo; and MIS Specialist Consultant, Amoako Bonti Kakra Asante.
The annual PQ conference is part of a three-year ‘Transforming Youth TVET livelihoods for Sustainable Jobs’ partnership between DTI and the Mastercard Foundation under the ‘Young Africa Works project, which aims to create 40,000 direct and indirect work opportunities for young people in the country.
Founder and CEO of DTI, Constance Swaniker, said: “This conference is an important platform to discuss the role of labour market information systems in job creation and economic growth. We believe collaboration among stakeholders in the private and public sectors can create a prosperous future for all Ghanaians.
“The theme of this year’s conference is significant in light of the current economic challenges facing Ghana. By better understanding the labour market, we can identify where there are skills shortages and opportunities to create new jobs. This information can help us to develop policies, and plan education and training that support job creation and economic growth.”
She added that the DTI is committed to providing high-quality technical and vocational education and training that meets the needs of the labour market.
“We believe that this conference will help us better understand the labour market so as to offer better training programmes that meet the needs of employers,” she reiterated.
