By: Juliet Obeng Ansah
Youth employment, the allure of a nation, and the aspiration of many graduates to achieve financial stability. For many, employment entails applying acquired skills and knowledge of their various fields of study in the different sectors to promote development in the country. Employment in the nation has been quite difficult to obtain over the years for variety of reasons and one truth is, employment after national service is not assured. Consequently, the issue of unemployment has grown to become a significant one to deal with, particularly given the scarcity of jobs in the country. Ghana, like many other countries, has been struggling with both social and economic issues which include poverty, unemployment, poor social amenities and other socio-economic challenges which explain the migration of the youth from the villages to cities, towns or other countries to seek greener pastures (Smith and Darko, 2014). This major issue has reached worrisome levels with the youth bearing the brunt of this burden (Affum-Osei et al, 2019).
In our educational system, specifically the tertiary education, there are various programs of study which are offered. Yearly, individuals such as SHS graduates and the working class are offered admission to study their program of choice. A number of years are used to study these programs which entail both practical and theoretical aspects but the question to ask is, “Are there available job opportunities for all these various programs in our country?” Also, “Why do we continue to study some programs if we know there are certain programs of study which are not majorly practiced in the country?” This is not to say that these programs are not important. Many times, we hear this statement “there are no jobs in the country”. Honestly, it is sad to hear this statement being made especially considering the significant increase of university graduates that are pushed into this system and are waiting to be employed. It is also sad to see that the skills and knowledge they acquired during the time in school gradually begins to wane if they are unemployed for a number of years. Our educational system has not entirely failed these graduates but has not helped our brothers and sisters who are currently jobless.
According to ISSER (2004), about 230,000 people in Ghana seek employment each year, for which the formal economy can offer about 4,600 jobs-approximately 2%. The 98% of them who are left jobless struggle to seek employment in the informal sector where compliance with labour standards is poor or very low or they remain unemployed of which is a clear sign of an unhealthy economy. Aryeetey and Baah-Boateng (2015) describe the essential indices of an economy’s health by factors such as poverty incidence, unemployment and joblessness, income inequality and the quality and quantity of jobs.
However, Ghana’s economy is the second-largest in Africa according to Benna and Garba (2016, p.84), which has a population of over 30.8 million according to the Ghana Statistical Service census conducted in 2021 (GSS, 2022). Twumasi (2013) conducted a survey on the challenges of youth unemployment in Ghana which include lower economic growth rate, lack of skills and knowledge amongst the youth regarding how to start their own business instead of waiting for government employment. Also, according to Ghana Youth Employment Policy (2010) and Twumasi (2013), Ghana youth account for over 60% of the population of which the majority are unemployed. If the youth are not working, it will have a negative impact on the future growth of the economy. Currently, there has been a reliance on political assistance to gain employment in the country where qualified individuals are not given the opportunity to impart the acquired knowledge and skills but unqualified individuals are given employment opportunities on the mantra, “Who knows you and who do you know?”
Social enterprises, also known as the civil society, the third class, or the non-governmental sector is a loosely organized and mostly informal sector that includes non-profit organizations, and the social entrepreneurial sector (Bornstein, 2007). This sector aims to develop skills, create jobs, and facilitate the integrations of socially excluded individuals by offering goods and services that the market or public sector is unwilling or unable to provide (Trivedi1& Stokols,2011).
Although unemployment is a major issue in the country right now, the youth should not be discouraged but encouraged to develop strategic ideas into entrepreneurial skills to help solve social problems, which could help them earn a living and leave legacies for the coming generations. This is an advice to graduates, undergraduates and young people in general not to wait for employment but to start planning and developing strategic business plans to promote social change and establish industries to grow the country’s industrial sector.
REFERENCE LIST
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Twumasi IK: The challenges of youth unemployment to the Church in Ghana: response of the Methodist Church Kumasi Circuit and Church of God Patasi District. (Doctoral dissertation). 2013.
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