The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has called for a major shift in Ghana’s education system to prioritise innovation and entrepreneurship as a strategy to tackle rising youth unemployment.

According to him, the current structure of the country’s educational system largely prepares students to look for jobs rather than equipping them with the skills needed to create employment opportunities.

Mr. Asiedu Nketiah made the remarks during the launch of the Volta Youth Development Fund in Ho on Saturday, March 7.

Education system must shift focus

He explained that Ghana’s unemployment challenges are partly driven by the orientation of many educational institutions, which primarily train students for employment within government institutions or established organisations.

Mr. Asiedu Nketiah noted that in several developed countries, universities play a significant role in researching societal challenges and developing innovative solutions that contribute directly to economic growth.

“In many developed countries, universities research societal problems and develop solutions that contribute to economic growth, but here most of our universities are training students mainly to seek employment,” he stated.

Government cannot employ all graduates

The NDC National Chairman emphasised that it is unrealistic to expect any government to absorb all graduates entering the labour market every year.

“It is simply not possible for any government to employ all graduates coming out of our universities. Somebody must begin to create jobs and employment opportunities so that others can also be employed,” he said.

He added that placing every graduate on the government payroll would be financially unsustainable, given the country’s limited tax revenue.

Youth urged to turn ideas into businesses

Mr. Asiedu Nketiah encouraged young people, particularly university students, to focus on identifying societal problems and developing practical solutions that could evolve into profitable business ventures.

“Economies grow when people identify problems affecting society and convert solutions into sources of income,” he explained.

He acknowledged that Ghana’s systems for nurturing innovative ideas and supporting start-ups are still developing but stressed the importance of continuing efforts in that direction.

Support for youth entrepreneurship

Mr. Asiedu Nketiah described the Volta Youth Development Fund as an important initiative that could help young people with innovative ideas access resources to establish businesses and create jobs.

As part of his support for the initiative, he donated GH¢500,000 to the fund.

The James Gunu, Volta Regional Minister, expressed appreciation to the NDC National Chairman for the donation and his commitment to youth empowerment.

He also called on individuals and corporate organisations to contribute to the fund to help expand opportunities for young entrepreneurs in the Volta Region.