The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in partnership with Africa Tourism Research Network (ATRN) has organised a 3-day training workshop session for forty (40) informal sector workers in the tourism and hospitality industry in Tamale.
The beneficiaries of this workshop were carefully drawn from the Traditional Caterers Association, Indigenous Caterers Association, Tour Guides Association of Ghana and Smock Weavers Association. The rest were from the Cultural Dance Association, Smock Sewers Association and the Shea Butter Processing Association.
The training workshop was facilitated by Mr. Daniel Amoako-Antwi from the African Skills Hub (ASH) with support from the ILO’s Global Programme on Skills and Lifelong Learning/SKILL UP Ghana Component.
Present at the workshop were, Mr Cosmos Muniru, Chairperson of the Ghana Tourism Federation in the Northern Region, and leaders of the various associations mentioned above. Addressing the participants Regional Director of GTA, Mr. Angelo Dogbe underscored the need for the participants to acknowledge and embrace the role of digitisation and social media now play in their work. He urged the to take advantage of the workshop to improve their work while at the same time benefiting from the opportunities available on the social media platforms. He assured the participants that his office is always ready to give them the needed support and pledged to help them to regularize their businesses.
Joining the training session virtually, Ms. Vanessa Lareto Phala, the ILO Country Director for Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leon and the Laison for ECOWAS noted that as part of its core mandate, the ILO is poised to collaborate with the Government of Ghana and key stakeholder institutions to support, train and build capacities of constituents in various sectors of the economy in order to create decent and sustainable jobs especially for the youth and women.
On his part, Mr. Frank Kwasi Adetor, the National Project Coordinator of ILO’s Global Program on Skills and Lifelong Learning, reiterated the pivotal role digital marketing and social media skills can play in promoting and sustaining businesses especially in this post COVID19 era. “I wish to admonish the two trade associations to take full advantage of this training by imparting the knowledge and skills acquired to others who could not participate in this session.
“We can only succeed in transcending the borders of Ghana by conforming to and upholding international standards in your business operations,” Mr. Adetor further advised the participants.
Briefing the trainees, Mr Emmanuel Frimpong, Founding President of Africa Tourism Research Network (ATRN) emphasized the critical role digitisation and credible data play in tourism and hospitality sectors. He said, “over 80% of the players in this sector are informal yet they play a critical role in creating decent jobs for the youth and women, therefore it is important you are given the needed tools to take advantage of the benefits of social media marketing”. He called on other development partners, government and organisations to partner with ATRN to train more informal sector workers in the tourism, hospitality and travel sectors in areas where they lack the needed skills. He also used the opportunity to thank ILO for supporting this sector over the years especially during the covid period.
The Global Program on Skills and Lifelong Learning/SKILL UP Ghana Project is an ILO initiative in Collaboration with the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
Credit: Emmanuel Frimpong
