I. Introduction:

Skills development is a fundamental enabler of economic growth and private sector development. Over recent decades, the global economy has experienced a profound transformation, mostly as a result of trade integration and technological progress. Increased international trade has driven economic growth in both high- and low-income economies, lifting millions out of poverty. Yet, employers around the world rank skills shortages as a major constraint to growing their business, particularly on international markets. For countries to harness the potential benefit of today’s global economy and the opportunities offered by technological advancements, investment in skills formation is crucial, especially in developing countries where skilled labour is scarce.

The ILO/Norway partnership for 2018-19 addresses these concerns. The overall partnership includes five field components and a global component. The field components (Ghana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Senegal, and Tanzania) assist constituents in strengthening skills systems to enable international trade. The global component focusses on research and policy advisory services primarily related to the issue of skills and technology.

This position will be based within the Ghana component of the partnership. In 2015 the country approved a National Employment Policy (NEP) that, among other priorities, calls for the preparation of a national human resources development plan that involves the identification of present and future skills needs and related training programs. The country’s strategic plan for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) transformation, recently launched, has the objective of better preparing its labour force to enhance productivity and increase employment generation.

The NEP, within its major objective to create more decent jobs to meet the demand for employment, also calls for the promotion of Made-in Ghana goods on international markets, as well as from an import-substitution perspective. The 2014-2017 development plan, conceived as an agenda for job creation to foster prosperity and equal opportunities for all, indicates the promotion of international trade and investment as a priority for national development.

The Ghana component of the ILO/Norway partnership is aligned with these major strategies. It will strengthen the country’s skills system through sectorial approaches to promote a better alignment between skills development and labour market needs. More specifically it will support the development of permanent structures to address industry skills needs and their integration with the TVET system.

II. Reporting line

• Under the overall responsibility of the Director of ILO-CO Abuja, the Administrative Assistant works under the direct supervision of the National Project Coordinator.
• The work is carried out within the rules and regulations of the ILO and close working contacts are maintained with the project staff located in the ILO Office in Abuja, DWT Dakar, and ILO SKILLS in Headquarters as required.

III. Summary of main duties:

• Serve as focal point for coordination of project implementation administrative-support activities, involving liaison with the project and the CO-Abuja to initiate requests, obtain necessary clearances, process and follow-up on administrative actions.
• Maintain and update records on administrative operations, including leave records and other staff-related actions, as well as all project activities.
• Provide administrative support to meetings and seminars. This includes coordinating travel and lodging of participants, paying DSA.
• Initiate action in order to assist the CO-Abuja for recruitment or transfer of staff, experts and consultants. This includes entering contract information in a database, drafting correspondence and maintaining files. May be asked to verify completeness of work done by external consultants.
• Brief staff, experts and/or consultants on administrative procedures. Respond to queries from inside and outside the organization on rules and administrative procedures and coordinate with other administrative sections for follow-up actions. Participate in internal meetings to provide information on administrative matters.
• Draft correspondence and reports relating to above duties.
• Participate in the preparation of project or programme evaluation reports.
• Contribute to the development of computer-assisted administrative procedures.
• Make travel arrangements, hotel reservations and prepare travel authorization forms for project staff, technical specialists on mission, external collaborators and evaluators as appropriate.
• Perform other tasks as may be assigned by the supervisor within the framework of his/her competence.

Qualification Required & Experience

• Education - Completion of secondary school education plus formal training from a recognized commercial school or equivalent.
• Experience – Five years of professional experience in providing administrative assistance within the UN context. Prior ILO experience is highly desirable, as well as prior experience working on technical cooperation projects.
• Languages - Fluency in English is required. A working knowledge of relevant local language is an advantage.

Competencies

• Good knowledge of the office administrative and personnel rules, regulations, practices and procedures.
• Good knowledge of national/local laws and regulations as pertinent to the areas of responsibility.
• Good knowledge of the office’s programming matters and activities.
• Excellent analytical skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Excellent drafting skills.
• Good negotiation skills.
• Ability to clarify information.
• Good computer applications skills.
• Proven ability to deal with confidential and sensitive matters.
• Good organizational skills.
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as a member of a team.
• Ability to deal with people with tact and diplomacy.
• Must display a high standard of ethical conduct and exhibit honesty and integrity.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Please send your application and most recent CV to:

hrabuja@ilo.org

Closing Date: 14 May, 2018