The Chairman of African Business Centre for Developing Education (ABCDE) and former Trade and Education minister Ekwow Spio-Garbrah has described the level of unemployment in the country as a big challenge.
He stated that the hardships associated with unemployment among the youths in Africa was a factor in the formation of groups like the Unemployed Graduates Association.
“The World Bank statistics suggest that in some African countries more that 40% of young people between the ages of 15 and 25 are unemployed and in Ghana even though government and other institution may defer on the actual number its certainly about 20%.Why is that the case?
The point where in Ghana graduates of our universities, that haven’t found work to do, have created an association of unemployed graduates. We have a big challenge.”
He associated the seeming problem which hits most youths after successfully completing tertiary education to the structure of the educational system in the country.
“The challenge of the case has to do with the size and the growth of the economy, but I believe the challenge would also have to do with the nature of the subject that our students are been taught and the kind of support workers could offer to supplement the knowledge of that teachers give to them.” He added.
He also said the government and some government workers do not recognize the career guidance department in the education ministry but entertain other projects. He described the department as an important arm of the ministry which has the potential of developing one to make critical decision about their education and what to do in future.
“When you want to award entertainers, sports men, comedian and people who are in the beauty industry, Miss Ghana, miss world, you get a lot of excitement and interests but if its about people who are involved in matters that deal with the brain then you find out people are still wondering what this whole thing is about.
“Even up till now the government still doesn’t acknowledge or recognize the need to invest significantly in career guidance and counseling. When I was a Ministry for Education there was a career guidance department in the Ministry and it was seen often by other directors as an orphan ministry, the kind of place when you assigned anybody in short you had punished them. They would rather be in the part of the ministry where people will get appointed, or been transferred or get contract were been signed, everybody was attracted but that.” He said
He was speaking at an award ceremony to appreciate some organizations, inters and patrons of African Business Centre for Developing Education (ABCDE) a Ghanaian based Pan-African Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), committed to mentorship, provision of scholarships, skills development of secondary and tertiary students and also helps to provide them with internship and job recruitment programs.
ABCE aims to help produce better prepared and more relevant African graduates for the world of work, and to equip them with the constant changes in the corporate world.
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By: Ann-Shirley Ziwu/citifmonline.com.ghana