Prioritize Graduate Unemployment

By Alhassan Fatawu a Social Commentator

Ghana has over the years been battling with a rate of graduate unemployment despite several interventions by successive governments especially under the fourth Republican dispensation. The National Youth Employment Program, the recently introduced Nation Builders Corps and many others have all failed to address this challenge since they rather concentrate on curing the symptoms instead of confronting the issue itself.

Although several reasons may account for this seeming irresolvable albatross on the neck of the country, the few which readily come to mind include ; increase in the number of tertiary institutions, increased number of graduates in the humanities , inadequacy of funds to enable government to hire and pay graduates ,and fear of ballooning the public wage bill which could affect allocations to other state agencies. A cursory glance at the reasons stated paint a picture of doom and gloom on the minds of many Ghanaian graduates as to their future. However, there are dozens of options available to the State for consideration if it deems them worthy of considering.

First of all there is a three pin approach as a way of finding a permanent solution to cure graduate unemployment in Ghana. Government must as a matter of urgency setup and resource mini workshops at all Public Basic Schools to equip pupils with technical and technological skills to enable them to setup their own businesses after school.

Secondly, government through the Ministry of Education must introduce entrepreneurship as a compulsory subject at the Senior High School and also establish well equipped entrepreneurship training centers on campuses of all public senior high schools across the country to train Students in entrepreneurship to enable them to start their own businesses with support from an Entrepreneurship Development Fund to be put in place by the State with support from the Private Sector. If implemented well, this could create more job opportunities for young people in the country and also bring in more revenue into the State coffers.

Lastly, Government must introduce entrepreneurship as a compulsory course in all Public Tertiary Institutions with well-equipped entrepreneurship centers to train Students. Government through the National Accreditation Board, National Council for Tertiary Education, UTAG and Forum of Vice Chancellors should ensure that a review is instituted to empower Tertiary institutions to convert final year projects undertaken by under – graduate students into business plans worthy of implementation for funding by the Entrepreneurship Development Fund to create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed graduates who keep competing for limited job opportunities in the Public Sector.

Aside dealing with the national security posed by unemployed graduates to the country, it will also double if not triple the revenue accrued the State since more people will be paying taxes. This is why government must by all means see to it that enough avenues are created in every area of the economy to give graduates the opportunity for employment.