The head of Caritas Ghana says graduate unemployment in the West African country is a rather complex issue, which require attention at the public policy level by Government.
Samuel Zan Akologo, Chief Executive Officer of Caritas Ghana, said “For instance, how can there be such mismatch between training content of Tertiary institutions and the skills, aptitudes and attitudes required by Employers?”
Every year, hundreds of graduates leave School in search of non-existing jobs, which has become one of the major challenges and disturbing phenomenon facing most young people in Ghana.
In an interview with Newswatchgh.com at the sidelines of the virtual launching of Caritas Korea and Caritas Ghana Partnership in Alternative Skills Training for unemployed youth, Mr. Akologo noted, “the role of Caritas has been at the level of advocacy to draw attention to this situation and call for policy reforms.”
The June 16 launching in Accra saw the awarding of a grant of $54, 700 by Caritas Korea to help the Church in Ghana to train unemployed youth especially girls in different skills.
Touching on what Caritas Ghana is doing apart from a recent grant of $54,700 awarded by Caritas Korea to help in curbing the unemployment situation in the West African country, Mr. Akologo noted, “the role of Caritas has been at the level of advocacy to draw attention to this situation and call for policy reforms.”
“Our policy briefs for the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference have enabled them (government and stakeholders) raise their voices at high-level public policy making spaces,” he said.
The Caritas Ghana head said for instance, the Bishops of Ghana have supported the National transformation agenda for the Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector while the National Apprenticeship Policy received much attention and input from the Church, through Caritas Ghana.
According to him, despite major investments by both government and the private sector like Caritas Ghana, “We need to focus our attention on Technical Universities, Polytechnics and Vocational Institutions on Competency Based Training that turns out students with demonstrable skills needed by the Private Sector.”
“We can also retool informal sector Master Craftspeople who provide Apprenticeship training to do so in a more organized way, he said, stating Caritas Ghana is currently facilitating Innovations Support Scheme for Unemployed youth for start up,” he stated, adding, “We have witnessed transformational results for the direct beneficiaries and their extended family.”
This, the Caritas head said can be replicated and expanded through Government support, adding, “Another idea is to venture into social impact investment initiatives that employ masses of youth to deliver tasks for the common good like public works, tree Plantations, waste management; like Plastics and Electronics which is the focus of Caritas Ghana.”
Responding to a 2020 new World Bank report titled “Youth Employment Programs in Ghana: Options for Effective Policy Making and Implementation” which has identified agribusiness, entrepreneurship, apprenticeship, construction, tourism and sports as key sectors that can offer increased employment opportunities for Ghanaian youth, the caritas Ghana head said “We are already doing some of this as discussed.”
“We can’t do everything but will continue to raise our voices about policy alternatives that support these,” he added.
Launching the partnership at the June 16 virtual ceremony, Bishop Joseph Osei-Bonsu, Episcopal President of Caritas Ghana said, “I wish to thank Caritas Korea for their gesture of solidarity and partnership. I wish to thank Most Rev. John Baptist Shin-chul JUNG, my Brother in the Episcopate for his friendship. I accept, with gratitude, this grant of USD54, 700.00 from Caritas Korea on behalf of Caritas Ghana and the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
He noted, “The Alternative Skills Training project is targeting unemployed youth; especially girls,” adding, “Youth unemployment has been a major challenge in Ghana and has been made worse by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bishop Osei-Bonsu stated at the launch of the partnership.”
According to the Local Ordinary of Ghana’s Konongo-Mampong Diocese, “Many casually employed youth in the informal sector were completely displaced while collapse of businesses further threw many others out of employment.”
During their 2019 plenary meeting at Elmina in the Cape Coast Archdiocese, the Bishops of Ghana expressed worry about the steep rise in youth unemployment in the country describing it as “a veritable national security threat which has to be addressed immediately and urgently with a well-articulated programme.”
“We urge all stakeholders, the Government, Private Sector, Political Parties, Faith Based Organizations and Civil Society Organizations to treat the growing menace of joblessness among our youth as a national emergency and come up with practical and innovative solutions to relieve our young citizens of the lingering stress of persistent unemployment,” said the Bishops in a Communique issued at Cape Coast in 2019.
The Bishops noted, “The youth must take note of the changing times by being more creative and to explore the available opportunities to establish their own businesses to be self-employed.”
