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10.06.2013 Feature Article

The Limbo Of Graduates

The Limbo Of Graduates
10.06.2013 LISTEN

It is the desire of every young person after years of studies to have his/her certificate at the appropriate time to enable them face the future with confidence, but in Ghana searching for job is like looking for needle in the occasion. Lack of job in the current job market represents the problem for everyone and not just a problem affecting young university or polytechnic graduates. The unemployment rate may vary for different groups but everyone faces the same basic problem with no particular difference whether you graduated from university or polytechnic. Unemployment is the direct result of the slow economy and will only turn around when conditions starts to improve and there is need to hire additional workers to meet increased economic demand. Let's clarify both problems separately to better understand the root cause of each one.

In today's Ghana attending university or polytechnic is not a guarantee one will find a job, although some jobs do require a university or polytechnic degree in lieu of experience. In the past years obtaining tertiary education was encourage as the only way to find the right job and to some degree it can still be the right course of action to take, that can lead you to the right job opportunity.

It seems to appear in the last few years that young adult have entered universities and polytechnics for the reason of setting decent employment, but it appears to have flooded the job market with graduate holding valuable certificate desperately searching for work. In today competitive job market having just degree and HND is no longer sufficient which in turn has reinforced the concept that attending university or polytechnic without establishing specific career objectives can be both costly and ineffective in finding a job.

Ghana's universities and polytechnics and the policies of mass recruitment of new students are alarming given the limited number of institution to accommodate the mass influx of learners from secondary schools to tertiary institutions and onto the labour market. With the whole cohort of graduate students entering the job market, the unexpected pre cariousness of job opportunities has given rise to relatively divergent viewpoints within government rank and the world of education at large.

History has made me understand that the term 'unemployment' first becomes significant in the time of the great depression in the United States and since then successive government have taken notice of unemployment rate exporting their understanding across the world from North America to Europe and Africa.

If the peoples are unemployed, there is bound to be social unrest in the state and even those who are employed are on constant strike for higher wages to keep up with the sleep rise in the cost of living due to wavering trends presently affecting the words economy. Government in general do not want social unrest so invariably the pressure is on them to create new jobs to match the rising number of graduate from tertiary institution onto the job market. But the BIG question is that is government creating jobs for the graduates in Ghana?

Is the government finding the root cause of unemployment and addressing them. The government must find the cause of the increasing unemployment canker and not to repeat the situation of future generation of graduate unemployment. Graduates unemployment in Africa is one of the challenges that the continent is currently facing. To stay abreast of the modern economy and the present trend toward globalization the African economy like many other economies in the developing world is on the path of natural development with structural shifts in production towards more skills and capital intensive industries. The pressure to become technologically more advanced together with the effect of increase global competition have further increase the demand for highly skilled workers at the expense of low-skilled workers in the continent. I believe that Ghana we need to present opportunities and to train student in that direction so that when they graduate there are jobs waiting for them where they can further develop and perfect their skills.

Graduates unemployment problem in Ghana can be described as structural in nature, given that there appears to be an ongoing and almost interactive mismatch between the types of workers demand by government and firm and those in supply of the job market. It is undeniable fact that graduates unemployment in Ghana is most prevalent among poorly educated, low skilled graduates, but the question is that, can the unemployed graduates afford the fee of higher education and highly skilled labour, in fact the phenomenon of rising graduates unemployment is doubly worrying. I may be right or wrong, every year less than 3% of graduates get employed both the private and public sector. Ghana is facing an unemployment problem among its youth due to population growth and inefficient labour or job market.

Many graduates today roam around in the streets, some have even taken to add jobs for survival and others for dangerous ones. Both private and public sector received unsolicited curriculum vitae at all the time but getting a job seems a heavenly task. Many graduates are tired of looking for jobs because for so long a time they have looked with nothing to show for it. The few that are available, the current trend is that, is for some 'special peoples', those who are connected to Members of Parliament (MPs), Minister, MMDCEs, Head of Institutions and others in higher positions.

'The devil finds work for the idle hands' the situation is sad as many find themselves doing nothing by earning nothing after spending time and scare resources to attain higher education. Due to this, a crime rate in Ghana has risen and because many are learned cyber crime (Sakawa) has been the most favoured and patronized amongst frustrated job hunters. Some have even taken up arms to join armed groups with chorus of emancipation in their lips and AK47s in their hands. Some of them have taken to full time prostitution just to survive. Some have been migrated to abroad as sex objects and investment by shylocks and international pimps, while some have however kept their calm and maintain their pride. The situation is sad and moral killing, a female mate of mine told when we were in Wa Polytechnic before you can even get an office for industrial attachment they demand to sleep with you before you can get vacancy to do the attachment. If there is no vacancy for industrial attachment which is temporary engagement, how much do we talk of employment opportunity which is permanent engagement.

It is the responsibility of the government to provide job for its citizens. But the question I ask is, is the government really providing these jobs? In today Ghana teacher and nursing training colleges has gain higher respect and prestige than universities and polytechnics education. Teachers and nurses college student after finishing their courses they immediately employed, due to the apparent lack of employment or jobs most universities and polytechnics graduates join the teacher training colleges and nursing training college. WHAT SORT OF EDUCATION SYSTEM IS THIS, while others even join pupils teaching 'aba'

Lack of jobs drives most graduates from remotes areas to the well dense cities. It is obvious and there is no need for one to carry research before one can affirm that many graduates migrate to big cities in search of jobs. The intense graduate unemployment rate in the country compel most graduates migrate to foreign countries. Most of our skilled unemployed stow away to abroad to offer themselves a cheap labour and also get menial employment purposely to afford livelihood. We claim to be democratic independent, but not employment independent. Am well convince that if our unemployed graduates still migrate to western countries in search of job, then we are still under colonial rule or era. My lecturer ever told me 'a decision taking today binds you to the outcome of that decision tomorrow, today many present an opportunity time but the question is what might happen out of that opportunity' so be careful with your decision making.

The challenges faced by graduates today so does it mean for those yet to be graduated from the universities and polytechnics, economically, things are very challenging and likely to be challenging if nothing is done about this canker, but this should not deter graduate to wait until the upturn and then resume the job hunting process. By doing so graduates run the risk of not been prepared with an effective skills, competence and experience portfolio to present to potential employers. Challenging and turbulent times requires graduates to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset and be very innovative in securing employment. I must express my arm length greeting to motivational speaker and entrepreneurs like Albert and Comfort Ocran, Emmanuel Dei Tumi and other motivational speaker for organisation seminar and forum for graduates on various themes.

Universities and polytechnics education is an investment that requires some financial sacrifice along the way. Student took social security and national insurance trust (SSNIT) loans to buy handouts, pay transport, rent, clothing, utility bills and other expenses to acquires tertiary education. Some graduates end up putting their parents into indebtedness in securing tertiary education. Even students with generous funding often find that some expenses are not covered, and that their general standard of living is not as high as they might like. Many gifted students fail to accomplish their dreams because the realities of tuition, housing and living expenses keep them from completing the degree.

The question I will like to ask is, why is there so much qualified and educated youth unemployment everywhere in Ghana?

Editor's Note:

The writer is a graduate of Wa Polytechnic, School Of Business, Department Of Accountancy Studies.
E-mail: [email protected]
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