The Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations (MELR) has established a public employment center in Konongo to offer quality services, including frontline labor market support such as job matching, placement, counseling, and the collection of labor market statistics and information.

The center will also provide services like labor inspections and the processing of workers' compensation issues, among other labor-related services.

All 16 regions have received their Public Employment Centers (PEC) in key locations to provide labor market services. With their strategic placements, modern facilities, and improved services, the PECs are poised to significantly contribute to sustainable employment and the overall economic development of the region.

Each center encompasses 320 square meters of office space and features a grid-tied solar system. The subproject includes components such as an entrance terrace, reception and waiting areas, offices, and counseling rooms.

Minister for Employment and Labor Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, stated that the PEC will deliver quality services to employers, job seekers, and training institutions. He noted that it will offer job seekers opportunities to inquire about job vacancies, upload their career profiles to the Ghana Labour Market Information System (GLMIS), and engage with employers.

"It also provides the opportunity for job seekers to access a wide range of labour market resources to enable them study emerging trends, acquire the skills in high demand and adjust the career paths to meet the demands of the world or work," he said.

Ghana has 64 existing PECs supervised by the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations, functioning as district offices of the labor department. The Minister However, said, many of these centers are in poor condition, which limits their ability to provide effective services to job seekers and employers.

As part of subcomponent 3.2 of the World Bank-funded Ghana Jobs and Skills Project, MELR recognized the urgent need to renovate and build new PECs. The technical assessment criteria were carefully developed, taking into account factors such as geographical and regional inclusivity, the economic and political importance of districts and municipalities in generating job opportunities, the concentration of youth populations in those areas, and the condition of existing PEC infrastructure.

“With the existing of the PECs, our young people looking for jobs and employable skills can always approach the PECs, enquire about the available vacancies, acquire the skills they need to get the jobs and be advised on how and where they can acquire the skills to improve their career paths choices,” the minister said.

The minister announced that officers will be stationed at each center, along with a pickup vehicle to facilitate outreach programs, job canvassing, and engagement with other stakeholders for effective service delivery.

He urged residents and stakeholders to make good use of the facility by actively fulfilling their roles to address the employment, skills, and career development needs of the youth.

Municipal Chief Executive Robert Kwakye stated that the establishment of the PEC will provide the government with accurate data on job seekers and the unemployed in the municipality. This information, he said,  will help shape effective policies and programs to tackle unemployment by leveraging local opportunities and resources to create jobs for the growing population in the municipality and surrounding areas.

"The Asante Akim Central Municipality is blessed to have benefited from the establishment of this facility and it will serve the entire Ashanti region. It will serve as convergence for job seekers and employers where job seekers will be exposed to the available job opportunities and the various skills sets that are in demand. The centre will also indirectly shape career paths of prospective job seekers in response to changing trends on the job market.”

The Ghana Labour Market Information System (GLMIS) is a key initiative launched by the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations (MELR) in partnership with the World Bank under the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project. This automated, decentralized, and integrated web-based portal is designed as a comprehensive platform for collecting, processing, evaluating, and sharing labor market information.

Key features of the GLMIS include frontend and backend access tailored to various user needs. Job seekers can find job listings, vacancies, and career counseling services, while employers can post job openings and search for qualified candidates. The system also provides labor market statistics, trends, and analysis to assist policymakers, researchers, and institutions in understanding the current labor market landscape and its future prospects.