Labour relations chose me – Amunyela
Promoting social dialogues
Joel Amunyela has been in the labour industry for over 14 years. He first obtained an advanced diploma at the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) in 2009, and then joined the ministry of labour, industrial relations and 1 June 2014.
He said he is passionate about labour relations and joining the ministry has been one of the biggest game-changers in his career.
Amunyela completed high school at Ella du Plessis, and then studied human resource development at the Bulawayo College in Zimbabwe. He persevered to attain a bachelor's degree at the then-Polytechnic of Namibia, now NUST, and subsequently decided to pursue an honours degree in labour law at the University of Johannesburg. He recently obtained a master's degree in industrial and employment relations from the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation (ITC) in collaboration with the University of Turin, Italy.
Motivation
He is motivated by his challenging childhood, which has driven him to do and be better every day. His advice to his younger self is that things get better when you work on them and that circumstances do not define you. With discipline and resilience, one can achieve whatever one sets their mind on.
He advised aspiring labour attaches to educate themselves and further highlighted that it is important to know what you want, be on the lookout for opportunities and be patient with yourself while doing your part. He further stated that things always unfold for the better if you are doing your best.
A typical day for Amunyela would involve attending to emails and representing Namibia at meetings organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), working closely with the African Union representative in Geneva to strengthen Namibia's position, and identifying and canvassing new areas of technical assistance and cooperation with the ILO.
Five interesting facts:
• I was born in Lubango, Angola. Yes, l am a ‘struggle kid’.
• I am a little impatient.
• I have travelled to over 10 countries
• ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ is the best book I have read that changed my perspective on money.
• I enjoy keeping up to date with current affairs, both nationally and internationally.
When asked about the labour industry and its possible challenges, Amunyela said: “One of the major challenges facing the labour relations industry is the impact of new technologies and automation on the workforce.
“This can lead to job displacement and changes in work, which will require new regulations and policies to protect workers' rights and ensure that they have access to training and education to adapt to these changes. Additionally, there is a growing need for greater collaboration and communication between employers, workers, and government to address issues such as inequality, job security and social protection for vulnerable workers.
"Finally, post-Covid, how do we balance and regulate remote working moving forward?
He said he is passionate about labour relations and joining the ministry has been one of the biggest game-changers in his career.
Amunyela completed high school at Ella du Plessis, and then studied human resource development at the Bulawayo College in Zimbabwe. He persevered to attain a bachelor's degree at the then-Polytechnic of Namibia, now NUST, and subsequently decided to pursue an honours degree in labour law at the University of Johannesburg. He recently obtained a master's degree in industrial and employment relations from the International Training Centre of the International Labour Organisation (ITC) in collaboration with the University of Turin, Italy.
Motivation
He is motivated by his challenging childhood, which has driven him to do and be better every day. His advice to his younger self is that things get better when you work on them and that circumstances do not define you. With discipline and resilience, one can achieve whatever one sets their mind on.
He advised aspiring labour attaches to educate themselves and further highlighted that it is important to know what you want, be on the lookout for opportunities and be patient with yourself while doing your part. He further stated that things always unfold for the better if you are doing your best.
A typical day for Amunyela would involve attending to emails and representing Namibia at meetings organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), working closely with the African Union representative in Geneva to strengthen Namibia's position, and identifying and canvassing new areas of technical assistance and cooperation with the ILO.
Five interesting facts:
• I was born in Lubango, Angola. Yes, l am a ‘struggle kid’.
• I am a little impatient.
• I have travelled to over 10 countries
• ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ is the best book I have read that changed my perspective on money.
• I enjoy keeping up to date with current affairs, both nationally and internationally.
When asked about the labour industry and its possible challenges, Amunyela said: “One of the major challenges facing the labour relations industry is the impact of new technologies and automation on the workforce.
“This can lead to job displacement and changes in work, which will require new regulations and policies to protect workers' rights and ensure that they have access to training and education to adapt to these changes. Additionally, there is a growing need for greater collaboration and communication between employers, workers, and government to address issues such as inequality, job security and social protection for vulnerable workers.
"Finally, post-Covid, how do we balance and regulate remote working moving forward?
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