Unemployment has been one of Ghana’s economic problems for years now. According to a report from UNESCO, about 107,263 students (short-cycle levels, Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral) graduate from the various tertiary institutions each year. The Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research indicates that out of the 107,263, only 10% of graduates are able to secure employment within a year of graduation.
In the 2023 budget, as part of measures to regulate expenditure, government placed a hiring freeze on civil and public servants. Also, in 2015 Ghana signed a 3-year loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which included a freeze on employment in government institutions. These agreements and decisions by government has left the unemployed no choice than to turn to the private sector for employment whilst others try to setup their own businesses. Since the private sector is not able to employ all, the remaining unemployed are either in the house with the hope of securing jobs in the future or trying to travel abroad to find greener pastures.
Sixty-seven years of independence and government (past and present) have not been able to create enough jobs for its citizens, that is a shame. It’s high time the government and investors realized the importance of human resource capital and exploited it.
It is not always the case that government have to put up structures to be able to employ. The digitalization revolution is taking the world by storm and a lot of countries are embracing digitalization as the new way of managing their affairs from economy to healthcare and every sector in between. This has created countless job opportunities globally most of which are accessible regardless of nationality. If we must seize the opportunities that digitalization presents, then there is the need to equip our teeming youths with the requisite skills to take these opportunities. We can do so by setting up skills training centers that will offer training of global standards to the unemployed and those seeking to reskill so that they may be better positioned to tap into the vast remote opportunities that accompany digitalization.
Also, government can put measures in place to motivate local and foreign investors to establish businesses in the country. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) can support individuals and organizations by providing workshops and financial aids for setting up, growing and expanding their businesses.
Written by: Gideon Tetteh