Research, data needed to fight unemployment in Ghana – Economist

General News of Saturday, April 13, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-04-13

Professor William Baah-Boateng, Head of the Economics Department of the University of Ghana, has made clear in favor of the role of research and data in combating the rising unemployment rate in the country.

According to him, government policies have not been able to remedy the situation because of the lack of coordination between research and policy decisions made by successive governments.

Speaking at a national meeting organized by the Star Ghana Foundation on youth unemployment and aimed at solving unemployment problems, Professor Baah-Boateng explained that the growing number of unemployed youth in the country could be solved if enough data were collected.

"Most policies implemented in the past are not based on proper research to find out what is really happening on the ground. So maybe we're chasing the wind with some of our policies. For example, when immigration services announced an investment, 85,000 people applied, many claiming that they were all unemployed. So if the government depends on it to develop a policy, it will fail. Indeed, the majority of those who went there are not necessarily unemployed, "he said.

The Institute for Economic and Social Statistics Research, ISSER, revealed in a study that only 10 percent of graduates of Ghana's higher education institutions were employed after a national service, while a 10-year majority of them to get a job. steady job.

University graduates are not sufficiently qualified for the industry – president of the AGI

The Ghana Association of Industries (AGI) has already expressed concern about the quality of graduates from various universities and institutions in the country each year.

According to the badociation, university graduates posted in the industry for national service have a hard time adapting to the demands of the industry.

According to Dr. Yaw Adu Gyamfi, General Manager of Danadams Pharmaceutical Industry and President of AGI, there is a big gap between the education provided to graduates in universities and the one practiced in the world of work.

Dr. Yaw Adu Gyamfi called for a change in the curriculum to ensure graduates are fit for the job market.

"One of the challenges we face in this country right now is that, when we look at the number of graduates from our universities, we find that their training does not correspond to what we want in the university. industry.

"The training of students in graduation leaves a lot to be desired. When you come home as an employer, what you have learned in clbad is not what I need, but I rather look for someone with the know-how. It is necessary for students to do an internship even during their studies, which prepares them to know what the industry is looking for and to have some experience to integrate after their studies. "