Ghana Employers Association Says Businesses Do Not Have Space to Accommodate New Graduates

• Ghana Employers Association has attributed the high unemployment rates to the inability of businesses to absorb unemployed graduates
• The CEO, Alex Frimpong, says businesses are struggling, hence, are reluctant to take up more workforce
• Meanwhile, the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce is calling on government to give businesses incentives to grow

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA), Alex Frimpong, says businesses do not have vacancies to accommodate fresh graduates.

He noted that in recent times businesses are struggling to expand, hence their inability to absorb the teeming number of graduates leaving tertiary educational institutions across the country.

“We don’t have the requisite vacancies to employ all these people and this has nothing to do with the quality of graduates coming out of our institutions,” Mr Frimpong he clarified on JoyNews.

Read also

“Exercise caution”: University of Cape Coast warns public against fake online courses claiming affiliation

He further stated that due to the very limited spaces available in businesses, most companies prefer to hire personnel with enough work experience rather than to take young graduates and train them.

The CEO of the Ghana Employers Association was responding to the recent Ghana Statistical Service unemployment report which revealed a staggering 14.7% unemployment rate among individuals aged 15 to 35.

The survey revealed that more than 400,000 people entered the labour force between the first and third quarters of 2023; however, over 30% of people in that bracket remained unemployed with about 60% of them gaining employment.

The survey also found more females than males have been employed, with a difference averaging about 600,000 and 900,000 for 2022 and 2023 respectively.

Some had attributed the situation to young graduates demanding higher working conditions than are available.

Read also

Ghana Integrity Initiative says corruption is going to persist in Ghana for the foreseeable future

But Mr Frimpong says that is not the case at all.

Ghana National Chamber of Commerce calls for government investment in businesses

The Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the other hand is calling on the government to provide incentives to businesses in response to the worsening unemployment crisis in the country.

The President of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Clement Osei Amoako, wants the government to create a financially conducive environment for the private sector to absorb the unemployed youth.

He wants the government to provide financial incentives to businesses to allow them expand despite the tough economic conditions in order to absorb the young graduates.

Education Minister laments high rate of unemployment in the country

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh reported that the Minister of Education Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum lamented the high rate of graduate unemployment in the country.

Read also

SONA2024: Construction of La General Hospital to be completed in 28 months

Dr Adutwum attributed the high unemployment rate to certain courses offered in tertiary institutions across the country.

According to him, some of these courses do not have a ready job market, hence, students applying for these courses have no job prospects by the time they graduate.

He added that some other courses also do not meet industry standards, hence, students leaving school are not able to meet the requirements of the job market.

Source: YEN.com.gh