Unemployment Plaguing Ghanaian Youth

Joblessness has become a key feature of the Ghanaian economy in recent times. Both skilled and unskilled people as well as university graduates have all complained about lack of jobs in the country.

There are those who have laid the problem at the doorstep of globalisation. This they say has made it possible for Trans National Corporations to recruit people from their home countries to work in high paid positions, leaving Ghanaians to occupy only low income positions.

In recent times, two allegations have come up. First it was a Chinese construction firm that was accused of bringing in even labourers (prisoners) to construct stadiums in certain parts of the country.

Also, not long ago, the youth in the Ahafo area went on rampage accusing, Newmont Ghana Limited, a mining company for not honouring its promise of recruiting several people from their fold.

According to the 2000 population census, adult unemployment rate for Ghana is at 8.2 per cent.

Ghana's current total workforce is estimated at 7.5 and 9 million. This figure represents all those employed in all sectors of the economy, including agriculture, manufacturing, construction, hotels and restaurants, small businesses and trading, health, education and the public service.

According to an article published by the CNN Interactive titled A Bridge to Africa, more than 25 percent of unemployment is in urban centres, with high rates of illiteracy in large parts of the country. The average per-capita income of the Ghanaian is $430 - the same as 30 years ago, even after Structural Adjustment.

Analysts with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) according to the CNN article say the government must make basic investments in infrastructure and in people, through health and education. For its part, the government points to a recent plan to upgrade Ghana's rural road system, under which plenty of money has been spent.

Another impediment cited is the mind-set of government officials and employers who are supposed to facilitate the reform and investment process, but who often are personally opposed to it. Investors have quoted examples of civil servants who create obstacles for various projects - obstacles that sometimes lead to the projects being shelved altogether.

The 2000 Population and Housing census describes 49.1 percent of the total workforce as illiterate and only 3.9 percent as having had some vocational or technical training. Less than 3 percent of the total workforces possess higher education or tertiary-level qualifications

According to the Ghana Country Report on unemployment, 2002, unemployment rate of young people between 15 and 24 years of age at the time was 15.9 percent with an estimated number of 1.2 percent new entrants to the labour market annually

These made unemployment in the age group 15 - 24 years more than twice of that of 25 - 44 age groups and three times that of 45 - 60 age groups.

Unemployment in Ghana has therefore been described as a youthful phenomenon.

However, youth employment policies in Ghana do not directly connect youth education with their employment. According to John Boateng, a Graduate Student of the Pennsylvania State University in the US, since about 70 percent of Ghana's workforce is employed by the agricultural sector, it is only reasonable that agricultural education in Ghana should be streamlined to adequately prepare the youth to take advantage of the many opportunities that exist in agricultural and professional careers.

Successful efforts at reform within the agricultural education system in Ghana according to Boateng will rely on strong leadership in programs at the national, regional, district and assembly levels. "Major leadership challenges will include, program evaluation, teacher education, curriculum development, resource availability at top and bottom levels and favourable legislature and budgetary appropriations."

Also, by incorporating career exploration programs in their curriculum, agricultural education institutions in Ghana will be trying to be comprehensive in their coverage, scientific in their method and practical in their impact and focus. Such a value-added education is what Ghana needs to reverse her rising youth unemployment.

At a recent lecture organised by the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), the Principal of Ho Polytechnic Dr. George Afeti agrees that training in Ghana does not fit job description required in the country.

In his views training must be fit for purpose or competency-based. According to Dr. Afeti, Competency-based education or competency-based training is a systematic learning process that requires the learner to demonstrate specified skills or show proof of ability to perform specified professional tasks.

Dr. Afeti said over the past two decades, Competency Based Training (CBT) has gained acceptability as a teaching and learning methodology that can effectively respond to the skills needs of industry and enhance the employment opportunities of job-seekers and facilitate the mobility of employees through upgrading of their skills or the acquisition of new skills.

Again he said CBT systems have now been adopted by many countries including Australia, Canada, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and South Africa, especially in the technical and vocational education and training sector.

"In Ghana, the polytechnics have just begun the process of mainstreaming CBT into their teaching and learning activities," he said adding, "CBT cannot succeed without a strong national industrial base and close collaboration between training institutions and industry."