cari_pb30_mengnyantakyilocalskilldevelopment-9065da7d17553827.pdf

This policy brief examines local skill development and knowledge transfer within Ghana's construction sector, specifically comparing the practices of Chinese enterprises against other foreign and local firms. Based on 2016 survey data from 12 enterprises and 240 employees, the study finds that Chinese firms contribute significantly to local job creation and skill development, challenging perceptions that they rely primarily on imported labor. The authors identify systemic challenges such as low technical education quality and high labor turnover, recommending stronger collaboration between the industry and vocational institutions, and the integration of training requirements into project contracts.

• Local employees working for Chinese construction enterprises do not differ significantly from those employed by local or other foreign firms in terms of age, marital status, education background, work experience, or union membership, indicating they are drawn from the same domestic labor pool.
• Chinese and other foreign construction enterprises contribute significantly to local employment and job creation. This evidence contradicts the common perception that Chinese firms rely on importing labor from China and provide little local employment.
• There is no statistically significant difference in the likelihood of local workers receiving training when comparing those in Chinese enterprises to those in other enterprises, although workers in non-Chinese firms tend to stay with their employers longer on average.
• Both Chinese and other foreign enterprises provide more short-term general and long-term specific training to locally hired workers than local enterprises do. Specifically, local employees in Chinese firms have a higher likelihood of receiving training, particularly short-term general training, than those in indigenous or other foreign firms.
• Construction enterprises across all ownership types (Chinese, other-foreign, and local) identify three primary obstacles to promoting local skill development: tight project implementation timelines, low employee retention rates, and the low quality of technical education.
• Some foreign enterprises specifically identify communication and language barriers as significant impediments to local skill development in Ghana's construction sector.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). cari_pb30_mengnyantakyilocalskilldevelopment-9065da7d17553827.pdf. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/CARI_PB30_MengNyantakyiLocalSkillDevelopment.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. cari_pb30_mengnyantakyilocalskilldevelopment-9065da7d17553827.pdf. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/CARI_PB30_MengNyantakyiLocalSkillDevelopment.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=cari_pb30_mengnyantakyilocalskilldevelopment-9065da7d17553827.pdf |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/CARI_PB30_MengNyantakyiLocalSkillDevelopment.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndcaripb30mengnyantakyilocalskilldevelopment9065da7d17553827pdf, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{cari\_pb30\_mengnyantakyilocalskilldevelopment-9065da7d17553827.pdf}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/CARI_PB30_MengNyantakyiLocalSkillDevelopment.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }