Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Association of Banks, John Awuah, has urged Ghana to move beyond viewing jobs as positions in big companies and help young people earn a living through skilled trades and entrepreneurship.

He called for a national framework that gives unemployed graduates and other young people practical routes to sustainable livelihoods.

He argued that limiting employment expectations to formal corporate roles could leave many young people overlooking opportunities in services that households and businesses need.

The CEO cited the difficulty of finding skilled tradespeople as an example of demand that young people could turn into viable businesses.

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“If you need a plumber, a good plumber, it’s a struggle,” he said.

He urged policymakers to close these skills gaps by making practical training and entrepreneurship a stronger part of education.

John Awuah said such an approach would equip young people to create their own sources of income rather than depend entirely on securing salaried positions.

He also stated that the value of a job should also be recognised in its ability to support a person’s livelihood
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“We need to begin seeing jobs as what pays our bills and the things that we do,” he said.

He called on authorities to establish systems that help young people develop marketable skills and turn them into sustainable businesses.

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Awuah also argued that expanding legitimate income opportunities could reduce young people’s vulnerability to crime, particularly when they struggle to find viable ways to support themselves.

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