Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ON
“GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT
AND WHAT TO DO TO AVOID FALLING IN THE
UNEMPLOYMENT CIRCLE”
Former workers who have taken time out of the workforce, for
instance to bring up children, seeking re-employment.
Workers who have lost their jobs, either because they have resigned or
because they have been made redundant, also searching for new jobs.
• It was estimated that about 47% of social science and arts students who graduated in
1999/2000 likely entered into unemployment, given the changes in skills demanded at
the time (Karikari-Ababio, 2006).
• The medical and computer sciences together accounted for less than 8% of the total
final year university enrolment during 1999/2000, that is, about 370 out of 4380 students.
•In 1998/1999 the output of the Computer Science Department at the University of
Ghana was only 49, compared with a total required output of 5718 (Karikari-Ababio,
2006).
•In Ghana, there is enough evidence of widespread disparity between what educational
institutions produce and what the labour market wants. This trend has led to a
‘mismatch’ between educational output and labour market requirements creating
unemployment problems in the country
• ‘Quality mismatch’ refers to the divergence between the type of skills graduates are
equipped with and the skill-mix required by the market (Karikari-Ababio, 2006).
For example: a new Economics graduate may not have the knowledge in the use of
computer-based analytical tools like SPSS, Microsoft Excell, etc.
There is also quality mismatch when our engineers from the universities are seen to be
sanctioning shoddy works.
Some accountants are seen not to be living up to their calling but have involved
themselves in fraudulent activities, embezzlement cases and incompetence in their
areas of operations.
• The agricultural sector remains unattractive to the young graduate (and the
youth at large) even though our economy is structurally agrarian.
About 54% of Ghanaians are employed in the agrarian sector in Ghana alone.,
• Attempts to promote the growth of SME’s to absorb labour have not yielded
the desired result due to several factors including high interest rates, weak
and unreliable infrastructure, etc.
Currently interest rates are between 32% and 38% p.a. in some banking institutions.
The non-banks charge even higher interest rates than the maximum for banks.
Government/National Approach
GOVERNMENT/NATIONAL APPROACH
Graduate Unemployment
Circle • Radical Reform of Education:
There is the need to identify and train the youth in employment
generating sectors; so we ensure that graduates meet the
Institutional Approach Individual/Personal Approach requirements of modern industry.
• The Bank of Ghana needs to work at making borrowing costs more attractive to
the business community.
At the prevailing interest rates, business owners are deterred from any expansion and/or new projects that could
create more jobs. Reducing interest rates will encourage more entrepreneurs to borrow, thus creating more jobs for
the graduate and other skilled/qualified workers.
• The Government of Ghana and its relevant agencies must encourage guidance
and Counseling programmes for the youth
The Civic Education Service, National Service Scheme, Ministry of Education and other relevant institutions within
the government should join hands with local NGOs and corporate institutions in providing guidance and counseling
programmes for the youth. Religious bodies and the traditional systems must also encourage such programmes. The
effects of such programmes reflect in the choice of courses the youth pursue at higher levels of education.
• There is the need to manage our transitional patterns in our educational system
effectively
The National Service Scheme introduced by the government seeks to solve transitional issues that may lead to
graduate unemployment. This system only solves the problem temporarily. Longer term measures need to be taken.
ADOPTING THE WHOLISTIC APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM (cont’d)
Government/National Approach
Graduate Unemployment
Circle • Ghana should join the Secretary General’s
Youth Employment Network (YEN)
Institutional Approach Individual/Personal Approach To ensure more pragmatic, long-term, cohesive and inclusive
policy direction for youth employment in Ghana
Youth themselves must drive the YEN process, with support
from all relevant stakeholders.
• The Government through the GSS needs to direct the nation in terms of labour
needs. There should be data on the labour requirements of the nations backed by
a clear sense of direction by the state through its educational policies.
ADOPTING THE WHOLISTIC APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM (cont’d)
Government/National Approach
INSTITUTIONAL APPROACH
Graduate Unemployment
Circle • The Educational Institutions need to
mainstream and partner with the private sector
Institutional Approach Individual/Personal Approach and other agencies to find answers to questions
such as: “How many products from our Institution are able to
progress directly to higher levels of tertiary education or the labour
market without any break?”
Such questions help the institutions to know whether or not they are doing the
right things and thus reducing unemployment among her graduates.
• Institutions should adopt Guidance and Counseling techniques in shaping the
aspirations and careers of the students and youth at large.
• While competition exists among several tertiary institutions in the country,
authorities should liaise with the corporate world to organise Career Fairs and
similar activities that expose the students to the corporate society for jobs.
INDIVIDUAL/PERSONAL APPROACH
Graduate Unemployment
Circle
• Do an internship during the long vacations with SMEs in your area of interest.
This helps you to build a good resume before going for your first job interview.
ADOPTING THE WHOLISTIC APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM (cont’d)
Government/National Approach