About 270 Ghanaian enterprises from 10 regions are slated for training under phase III of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) program.
Commencing next year, this €400,000 initiative, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) under the “Invest for Jobs” initiative, aims to enhance productivity, resource efficiency, and working conditions for selected enterprises.
The program, set to run for nine months, will be implemented by the Management Development and Productivity Institute (MDPI), supervised by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
Speaking at the program's launch, Mr. John Duti, the Team Leader of Invest for Jobs, emphasized the importance of environmental protection in business operations.
He urged enterprises, particularly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), to adopt green processes and technologies to contribute to the growth of the green economy.
“The Just Transition paradigm means working towards a green transformation of the economy while promoting decent employment, social inclusion, poverty eradication, and gender equality at the same time. That's what SCORE is doing,” he stated.
Under the “Invest for Jobs” program, GIZ Ghana had previously signed grant agreements with MDPI in 2021 and 2022 to train 60 and 74 SMEs, respectively.
Madam Bernice Adjei, Director General of MDPI, commended the German government for its support and urged consideration for procuring Personal Protective and Equipment (PPE) for trainees, particularly those from the northern part of the country.
SCORE, a global training program, focuses on improving workplace organization, cooperation, and safety in SMEs while promoting resource-efficient and cleaner production.
The modules cover various aspects, including Workplace Cooperation, Quality Improvement, Resource Efficiency, Workforce Management, Occupational Safety and Health at Work, Lean Manufacturing, Gender Equality, Responsible Business, Hospitality Coaching, and Working Time.
The SCORE program in Ghana, launched in 2011 and initially funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), has transitioned to German government support since 2021.