Agric graduates do not meet job market demands– says Study

A new report has found a mismatch between the knowledge and skills given to Ghanaian agricultural graduates and what is required by employers.

The study indicates that the curricular and teaching methods in agricultural institutions tend to neglect the development of soft skills such as critical-thinking and problem-solving which will equip graduates to easily adapt to changing demands in the job market.

The study was conducted to trace agriculture graduates from 1993 to 2008, with the view of generating relevant information that could possibly feed into curricular review to ensure that agricultural training institutions are able to produce graduates better suited for the job market.

It was commissioned under the Strengthening Capacity for Agricultural Research and Development in Africa (SCARDA) programme, managed by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA).

Dr. Joe Tabazuing of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) is the National Consultant on the project. He pointed out the training of agric graduates tends to emphasize theory and produces job seekers but not entrepreneurs who can effectively contribute to private sector growth.

“We do not encourage students to search for skills and to develop competences that will make them make contributions that will bring about national development… and I also believe the findings have implications for policy; that if our policy orientation is not right, we will not be able to create the right atmosphere to stimulate the desired manpower development”, Dr. Tabazuing told Luv Fm in Kumasi.

The study findings were presented at a national validation workshop, attended by representatives of universities, agric colleges, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Ministry of Food and Agriculture, NGOs and fresh university graduates.

Recommendations include the need for stronger private sector engagement with training institutions, review of training curricula, reduction in food imports, and provision of land banks and start-up capital for agric ventures.

National SCARDA Focal Person, Dr. Stella Ennin, says the findings will be widely disseminated to influence policy.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh