Beyond classroom learning, understand what the job market demands

We live in a country where new jobs are emerging, yet the education system appears to be struggling to keep pace with changing job market demands. Gradually, we have come to understand that schools teach us about things, but the market pays us to do things.

The school system is largely structured around preparing students to pass examinations such as the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), diploma examinations and degree assessments. Consequently, many students are taught primarily to pass examinations rather than to prepare for the world of work.

We are rarely taught how to navigate the job market. Instead, we are encouraged to remain fixated on passing tests, often at the expense of acquiring practical skills and real-world experience. As a result, we struggle to learn and apply knowledge beyond the classroom.

Currently, there is a significant gap between what many senior high school (SHS) and tertiary institutions teach and what employers seek when recruiting workers.

This raises important questions: What are we doing about the situation? What is the Ghana Education Service (GES) doing to address it? What plans are being implemented? Which institutions should we partner with, and who needs to be held accountable for ensuring that our education system prepares students for the realities of the job market?

Reasons for the gap
Several factors contribute to the mismatch between education and employment in Ghana.

1. Slow curriculum reviews
Curriculum reviews can take years, while the job market continues to evolve rapidly. By the time some changes are implemented, employers may already be looking for different skills.

2. Limited practical training and industry exposure

Many schools lack adequate equipment, laboratories and opportunities for students to learn directly from industry professionals. This limits their ability to apply classroom knowledge in practical settings.

3. An examination-focused culture
Teachers are often under pressure to prepare students to pass examinations. Consequently, teaching and learning may focus more on memorising concepts than on developing the practical skills students need to perform tasks in the workplace.

What students learn in the classroom provides an essential foundation, including literacy, numeracy and critical thinking. However, what often improves their chances of securing employment is what they acquire beyond the classroom: internships, projects, professional certifications and experience using tools that employers rely on.

Understanding the mismatch
Theory-heavy, practice-light education
Many SHS and university programmes continue to place considerable emphasis on memorising concepts and preparing for examinations. However, employers in Accra and other parts of the country increasingly need people who can demonstrate practical abilities through projects, portfolios and hands-on experience.

Depending on the profession, these skills may include using Excel for data analysis, designing with Figma, coding, digital marketing, electrical wiring and conducting laboratory work. Knowing the definitions of these concepts is important, but being able to apply them is equally essential.

A gap in soft skills
Employers also value problem-solving, communication, teamwork and customer service. Yet these competencies do not always receive sufficient attention in the classroom or feature prominently in how students are assessed.

Technology outpacing the curriculum
Technology continues to evolve, and educational curricula can struggle to keep up. By the time some changes are approved and implemented, the tools used in the workplace may have changed.

Artificial intelligence tools, social media management platforms, mobile money systems and renewable energy technologies are creating new opportunities. However, not all educational programmes have adapted sufficiently to these developments.

An overemphasis on formal employment
Many schools appear to prepare students primarily for formal employment, with less emphasis on entrepreneurship and self-employment.

Yet a substantial part of Ghana's economy revolves around small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), trading, agribusiness and the creative arts. These sectors require practical skills in business management, budgeting, marketing and sales, which are not always adequately integrated into school programmes.

What can we do to bridge the gap?
What should we do to ensure that graduates acquire the skills employers need? How can we prevent students from completing university with degrees but little practical experience? And how can we ensure that SHS leavers have marketable skills they can use to earn an income?

The solution is not to undermine the value of formal education or discard the existing school system. Rather, it is to make schools and the world of work interact more frequently and meaningfully.

From my perspective, the following measures could help address the problem.

1. Make the curriculum responsive to changing industry needs

Instead of allowing curricula to remain unchanged for extended periods, education authorities should introduce regular, smaller reviews involving employers and industry professionals.

For instance, the GES, the Ghana Employers' Association and relevant industry players could meet every two years to identify the skills businesses will need and recommend adjustments to school programmes.

If employers identify data analysis, Power BI, Excel or customer service in Twi and English as priority skills, schools could introduce appropriate modules where relevant. This would help make learning more responsive to industry needs without waiting for an entirely new curriculum or textbook.

2. Assess what students can do, not only what they can remember

Examinations are important, but employment often requires people to demonstrate what they can produce and accomplish.

One proposal worth considering is to combine examinations with practical projects and portfolios. For example, a student could be assessed through both written examinations and a practical project, with the exact weighting varying according to the subject and programme.

An SHS student studying ICT could graduate with a functional website or a completed digital project. An electrical installation student could demonstrate the ability to wire a circuit safely. A student studying business could develop a viable business plan.

At the tertiary level, students could complete structured internships and work on real-world projects relevant to their fields before graduation.

When employers can assess what a graduate has built, designed or accomplished, they gain a clearer understanding of the candidate's abilities beyond academic qualifications.

3. Equip teachers and schools with the necessary resources

Teachers cannot effectively deliver practical, technology-driven lessons without the appropriate tools and resources.

Schools need adequate computers, laboratories, reliable internet access and relevant teaching equipment. Teachers must also receive regular training to keep their knowledge and skills current.

Partnerships between schools and local companies could help address some of these challenges. Companies could donate functional or refurbished equipment, provide technical support and assign qualified staff to facilitate practical lessons or workshops each term.

Such partnerships would expose students to industry practices while helping teachers connect classroom concepts to real-world applications.

4. Recognise learning outside the classroom
Learning does not happen only in formal educational institutions. Online courses, boot camps, professional certifications and apprenticeships can also equip students with valuable skills.

Educational authorities should explore ways to recognise credible external training through a structured credit or accreditation system. For instance, relevant Google Career Certificates, ALX programmes and recognised apprenticeships could count towards approved learning requirements where appropriate standards have been met.

This would require clear assessment criteria to ensure that the training is relevant, credible and aligned with established educational standards.

Schools should serve as hubs for learning, connecting students to different opportunities rather than being treated as the only sources of knowledge.

5. Shift the focus from certificates alone to skills and problem-solving

Certificates matter, but they should be accompanied by the ability to apply knowledge and solve problems.

Financial and digital literacy should be strengthened across educational levels. Students should understand budgeting, mobile money, online scams and the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools.

Schools could also introduce practical problem-solving projects in which students work each term to address challenges within their communities. These could include waste management, water-related problems or developing marketing strategies for local businesses.

Such activities would encourage students to think critically, work collaboratively and apply what they learn to real situations.

Preparing students for the future
The central idea is not that schools must predict every job that will emerge over the next decade. Rather, they should equip students with the ability to learn quickly, adapt to change, build practical solutions and work effectively with others.

This requires stronger partnerships between educational institutions, government agencies and industry. It also demands an education system that values both academic knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge.

Until we take deliberate steps to bridge the gap between education and employment, we risk continuing to produce graduates who possess certificates but lack practical experience and a clear understanding of the job market.

It is time to move beyond the classroom and the traditional formula of teaching students primarily to pass examinations. We must prepare them for the marketplace, equip them with relevant skills and give them a better chance of securing employment or creating opportunities for themselves and others.

Education should not end with passing an examination; it should prepare people to contribute meaningfully to society and the world of work.