Beyond the strides made within the education sector, there is still a vast gap to be filled. This gap, created by the lack of training suitable for job markets, is being addressed by stakeholders, according to the Team Lead at Youth Opportunity and Transformation in Africa (YOTA), Mr. Eric Saforo.
Mr. Saforo believes efforts must be intensified to achieve the desired outcomes.
According to him, industry-related skill sets, which are go-to requirements, keep changing.
He lamented that graduates often fall short of these requirements, making them unable to fit into the industry. Even the few who seem to possess those industry-related skills, he urged, must consciously update their skills to meet current industry standards.
The YOTA Team Lead was speaking at an event organized by the Youth Empowerment and Skills (YES) Chapter and the Pan African Coalition for Transformation (PACT) Knowledge Café on Friday, August 9, 2024, in Accra.
He noted that there is an urgent need to revise the courses offered at training institutions to align with the growing demands of the industry. This, he added, will ensure that the youth are absorbed into the workforce after their training.
In view of this, he proposed what he termed “inter-agency collaboration”—a collaboration between industry, academia, and policymakers to determine the skill sets urgently needed and how academia can leverage and support this.
He maintained, “The education sector is doing very well, but there is a skills mismatch, and it is the policymakers who will be able to bridge the gap.”
Mr. Eric Saforo disclosed that his organization, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour Relations, is working to identify policy gaps and support the government with resources and technical expertise to address these issues.
He observed that the National Employment Policy, which has been in operation for over a decade, is overdue for review. Therefore, his organization has been examining the gaps and working to mitigate them.
The meeting brought together stakeholders, including young people and the Ministry of Labour Relations, to contribute their insights on what should be included in the newly revised policy.
Upon completing their work, Mr. Saforo added, his organization will present their findings to the Ministry of Labour Relations and provide the necessary policy guidance and training.
During the engagement, he pointed out that his organization identified a significant skills mismatch, which is a primary reason young people struggle to find jobs after completing their education. Hence, the need for policy revision.
According to him, emerging areas such as technology and curriculum issues must be addressed.
While urging the Ministry of Labour Relations to focus on booming sectors such as agriculture and construction, he emphasized the need for state-of-the-art tools and training to match the emerging trends.
While expressing satisfaction with the level of collaboration between the government and various agencies, he also called for further strengthening of these efforts.
A policy brief put together by YOTA and PACT described the youth of the country as the most valuable asset, yet their potential is being stifled by a persistent unemployment crisis.
According to the Ghana Statistical Services, the unemployment rate remains alarmingly high at 14.7% in the first quarter of 2023. The number of unemployed youth has risen from about 1.2 million to over 1.3 million during the same period, with the rate among females consistently higher than among males.
On her part, the Head of Youth Employment and Skills (YES), Mona Niina Iddrisu, who is committed to working with African governments to provide high-quality knowledge products in policy formulation, stressed the urgent need for Parliamentary approval of the career guidance policy currently under consideration.
The policy document, developed by YES with the assistance of the Ministry of Education, when passed, will provide guidance on youth employment, mentoring, and other related areas.
She lamented the persistent skills mismatch issues that contribute to youth unemployment. However, she expressed confidence that the career guidance policy, once passed into law, will help address these issues.
She maintained that increased investment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) by governments across African nations is a commendable measure to reduce youth unemployment.
The Head of Youth Employment and Skills is optimistic that youth mentorship will be high on the agenda going forward, along with increased investment in startup businesses.
All these efforts, she noted, will help the youth find their place in the nation’s development.
Report: Prosper Kwaku Selassy Agbitor