Ghana’s Bold New Job Portal to Protect Youth from Exploitation and Unlock Global Opportunities

Ghana is taking a major step toward tackling youth unemployment and curbing exploitative foreign job schemes with the launch of a national job portal, according to Labour, Jobs and Employment Minister, Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo.

Speaking on the issue on Monday, July 21, Dr Pelpuo confirmed that the government is finalising plans to introduce a fully functional digital platform designed to streamline youth recruitment and regulate foreign employment offers. The move comes amid increasing demand from young Ghanaians eager to work abroad and growing concerns over unverified overseas job offers.

> “I can see that young people are eager to join the system, and business owners are also quick to claim there are opportunities here and there. We have taken note of all that,” said Dr Pelpuo.



National Job Portal Set to Launch

Dr Pelpuo revealed that the government has already contracted a technology firm to build the portal, which is now ready for public rollout. The Labour Ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Youth Empowerment to implement a national screening process for job seekers and employers.

> “We are creating a system through which we can launch a portal that allows young people to apply. We will then interview them, identify those who are properly qualified and capable, and connect them with companies that can support their next level of development,” he explained.



The portal is expected to serve as a one-stop platform, linking qualified Ghanaian youth with verified job opportunities locally and internationally. Once applicants are screened and approved, they will be referred to the National Youth Employment Agency for deployment.

> “People can access the portal, be streamlined through the process, and then be forwarded to the National Youth Employment (NYE) Agency through the ministry. They will be interviewed, and we will select the types of candidates needed for deployment,” Dr Pelpuo added.



Cracking Down on Unregulated Foreign Recruitment

A core goal of the initiative is to protect Ghanaian job seekers from being exploited by unlicensed or unscrupulous foreign recruitment agencies. Dr Pelpuo expressed strong disapproval of the rising number of illegal employment offers targeting Ghanaian youth, emphasizing that such practices will no longer be tolerated.

> “We’ve gotten a lot of proposals from outside the country and we cannot take people out just like that,” he warned.
“We will no longer allow young people to leave this country into the hands of people who will just use them the way they want, to the disadvantage of the young people and to national disadvantage.”



Legal Frameworks and Bilateral Protection Agreements

To ensure transparency and protection, the Labour Ministry will now require all foreign companies seeking to hire Ghanaian labour to sign formal memoranda of understanding (MOUs). In addition, any labour export partnerships must be backed by bilateral agreements through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

> “I will want to sign a memorandum of understanding with every company that is stepping in here seeking to take our young people outside,” Dr Pelpuo stated.
“We don’t like the situation where young people are out there working and they are conceived as slaves or servants when they should be seen as working people.”


These agreements will enforce standards in line with both Ghanaian labour laws and international regulations, guaranteeing that Ghanaians working abroad are treated fairly and humanely.

Labour Talks with Romania Underway

As part of ongoing international collaborations, Dr Pelpuo revealed that Ghana is already in discussions with Romania to formalise an MOU on structured labour migration. These talks aim to open secure and legally protected employment avenues for Ghanaian professionals abroad.

The national job portal is expected to be a cornerstone of the government’s broader employment strategy, offering young people safer, vetted pathways to gainful work while restoring confidence in the country’s labour export system.

Ghana national job portal

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