Accra, Aug. 15, GNA-Dr. Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, Minister of Communications on Wednesday launched Ghana's first indigenous job engine, www.jobsinghana.com, that uses the Internet as a platform linking jobseekers to employers and vice-versa.

It is a tool that makes human resource management easier for employers and puts jobseekers in control of their careers. Dr. Ntim said the database, which would introduce Information Communication Technology (ICT) and related efficiencies in the human resource sector, would also make jobs readily available to help reverse brain drain in the Diaspora.

He said the attainment of this feat pointed to the fact that ICT holds immense promise as its deployment was rapidly changing and opening new avenues of relationships for society.

"The contribution indeed points to the fact that there are individuals in Ghana with innovative skills today who are committed to the deployment of ICT solutions that are beneficial to users as a universal enterprise", he added.

The Minister said the website would also provide consultancy services to help solve problems of unemployment by attracting persons with employable skills to the site to attain jobs and complement government's effort to secure jobs for the youth.

Dr. Ntim said in Business Processing Outsourcing( BPO) which was a lucrative venture in ICT, a number of investors were keen to locate in Ghana and improve telecom services to enable them do business on cost effective basis.

He hinted that the Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was facilitating the development of incubation facilities at the Ghana Multimedia Centre to promote technology commercialization and economic focus.

The Minister therefore commended the initiative and called on the young entrepreneurs and others in the IT industry to set targets and increase research activities to develop skills in the industry. Mr. Ernest Adade, Deputy National Coordinator of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) also applauded the initiative, which, he said, was consistent with the aims of the NYEP to create more job avenues for the youth.

He stated that the NYEP had been able to employ over 104,000 youth, saying this had reduced the number of graduate unemployment by 6,000. He said the programme had also employed over 23,000 pupil teachers in the regions, and pledged the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment's commitment to support any drive to secure more jobs. Mr. Richard Baffour, Chief Executive Officer for Jobsinghana said the website has a growing database with automatic links for jobseekers, employers, and a resource centre with information on resume writing, career search and other human resource tips.

He said the site has registered over 3,000 job seekers to save them from frustrations of walking around with application letters to seek employment.

Mr. Baffour said the initiative was more of his social contribution to the growth of the human resource sector and to jobseekers whose dreams to secure a job had never been realized. 15 Aug. 07