By Rachel Quartey & Valentia Tetteh
The Ghana Employers Association (GEA) has called on Parliament to enact legislation that will align university education with Ghana’s development priorities.
The President of the GEA, Nana Dr. E. Adu-Sarkodee Afriyie, said the current structure of tertiary education is not producing graduates with the skills required to drive national development.
Speaking during a meeting with the Minority Caucus at the Association’s head office in Accra on March 31, he stressed the urgent need for a clear national policy to guide human capital development.
“We believe the human capital base must be significantly aligned with the developmental needs of the nation. We need people who can deliver practical solutions for the country, but we are not finding them to employ,” he said.
He noted that universities continue to churn out graduates in fields with limited demand, while critical sectors remain underserved.
“We are still producing lots of MBAs, and nobody needs them for anything,” he stated.
Nana Dr. Afriyie emphasized that a clearly defined development framework would enable educational institutions to tailor their programmes to meet industry demands and support economic growth.
The engagement formed part of an outreach by the Minority Caucus, led by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, to engage key stakeholders on improving the business environment and promoting job creation.
Participants proposed the formation of a joint working group to meet quarterly and recommend reforms aimed at strengthening collaboration between policymakers and the private sector.
Nana Dr Afriyie also called for bipartisan support in implementing long-term policies.
“This is a medium- to long-term objective, and I hope both political sides can come together to advance a common agenda,” he said.
