General News of Monday, 27 July 2015

Source: GNA

‘Gov’t alone cannot solve unemployment challenges’

Mr Kwame Annoh, of the Specific Vocational Preparation Business Development of the Royal Bank, says government alone cannot solve the challenges of unemployment.

He therefore advocated the strengthening of the private sector to shoulder the burden, since the players contribute to the growth of the economy.

He was speaking at the launch of the third edition of the Global MBA in Impact entrepreneurship coupled with a forum for entrepreneurs dubbed: “Entrepreneurship in Today’s Ghana,” in Accra.

The MBA programme is being run in Ghana through the collaboration of the Graduate School of Business and Society of the Catholic University of Millan (ALTIS), the Catholic Institute of Business and Technology and the Royal Bank.

It aims at educating the youth to have the zeal, the drive and requisite skills to become self-employed and be able to employ others.

“The Royal Bank will continue to support the mentoring programme of the university by making available seasoned mentors with hands on approach to support the students throughout their entrepreneurial development at the institution,” he said.

He said the Bank would support students of the university to undertake attachments programmes in the quest to build their entrepreneurial skills throughout their academic training.

Ms Hamdiya Ismalia, General Manager of Venture Capital Trust Fund, said that there is lack of adequate policy framework to create and maintain a favourable environment needed to foster entrepreneurship development in the country.

She said entrepreneurship policies, in the country are not sustainable and are often times reviewed or scraped following changes in government without full implementation.

Ms Ismaila noted that a major stumbling block for many potential entrepreneurs is lack of access to credit or seed funding necessary to start a business as well as lack of entrepreneurial education, infrastructure including business incubation, research and access to information.

“We need to train out entrepreneurs beyond just taking one course in entrepreneurship and this is where I commend the ALTIS programme, it is hands-on and engaging,” she added.

Mr Philip Ayensu, Chief Operating Officer of the Multiple Concepts Group offered the entrepreneurs 15 steps to success which he said aided him when he was on his way to success.