The Informal Economy Workers’ Forum Ghana (INFORUM) has expedited steps to offer career training to informal sector workers with Accra Technical University (ATU) as the resource center and educational institution to offer quality training and certification to the sector workers.

This initiative was entered through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by ATU with INFORUM, an umbrella organization for various informal economy workers associations and unions in Ghana.

INFORUM chooses the university based on its mandate to provide opportunities for technical and professional skills development, as well as developing strong linkages and collaboration with relevant organizations.

An Entrepreneur, Labour activist, and Executive Secretary of INFORUM, Deborah Freeman mentioned that INFORUM is open to all membership-based Organizations and individuals operating in the Informal Economy.

Currently, the INFORUM has a membership of over 5 million informal economy workers across the country consisting of market women, traders, and seamstresses, among others.

Other informal sector workers include professional actors, shop owners, shop attendants, freelance writers, modelers, plumbers, etc.

She opined that these are very skillful workers in the informal economy, however, they do not have certificates to back their skills, making them disadvantaged as they are often exploited by business contractors and middlemen who give them peanuts for the quality of work they do.

According to her, the collaboration with ATU gives the university the mandate to organize short courses and programs for informal sector workers under the INFORUM to expand their scope of knowledge in their respective career areas and issue a certificate to trained members.

She mentioned that out of over 11 million workers in Ghana, over 85% are informal workers adding that about 10 million of the total workers are plying in various informal trades across the country.

“By this MOU, I would urge all informal workers who are yet to become members of INFORUM to use this opportunity to enroll in our membership to benefit from the training as it will add to one’s existing knowledge in their field”, she said.

Deborah Freeman emphasized that successful trainees will be more relevant since the certificates they acquire will help expand their business operations as well as gain recognition to gain employment.

Speaking about the authenticity and relevance of the certificate, she explained: “There are opportunities for skilled laborers in the public formal sectors so our members can use the certificates they acquire to gain employment in these sectors to serve in technical and professional areas.”

At the signing ceremony, Professor Amevi Acakpovi, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the university envisaged that the courses would contribute to the formalization process of the informal sector through a diligent certificate process.

“The informal economy consists of activities that have market value but are not registered. The informal worker lacks the certificate and recognition but contributes to the economy considerably,” he said.

Professor Ernest Christian Winful, the Dean of international programs of the University said that the University is excited about this collaboration and will work with the INFORUM to reduce discrimination against Informal sector workers in Ghana.

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