It is estimated that about 50% of graduates who leave Ghanaian Universities would not find jobs for two years after their national service and 20% of these graduates would not find jobs after three years of completing their national service. This has been the unfortunate fate of our graduates.
According to a report by FussGhana, an average of 70,000 graduates enroll for the National Service Scheme annually and are posted to various public and private sectors to work. However, only a fair number of these graduates gain employment after their National service.
Clearly, the employment-to-population ratio in the country continues to be imbalanced such that the demand for jobs always outnumbers the number of existing jobs. This pathetic situation has gradually become a problem which has birthed other social problems.
A country’s productivity largely depends on its active manpower; when there is a strong working force in the country more revenue will be generated and there will be massive progress and national development.
However, when the rate of unemployment itself is high, the potential labour force is incapacitated and hence cannot contribute it’s maximum quota to national development.
Many youthful graduates find themselves in the lurch even after completing tertiary institutions and acquiring the various qualifications to work productively in various sectors of the economy.
It’s quite sad that there is the availability of active, qualified manpower but the jobs that they are qualified for are not handy. This is, however, not the same case in other parts of the world.
In most advanced countries in Europe, Asia and America, job availability or employment rate is high. Their economy offers diverse job opportunities for many people with different skills and qualifications; there are opportunities for everybody and a good place to fit in every time.
It is not surprising that most of our qualified youth or active manpower are fleeing to find greener pastures in these countries. Every year, hundreds to almost thousands of our youth join the brain drain to these countries to work.
Some of them do not even find professional jobs but still travel at the expense; the notion that it is better to find a good paying job even if it does not employ their qualifications than to be jobless and earn nothing.
The high rate of unemployment has also made the youth frustrated and in their dire search to find a source of livelihood, they are tempted to indulge in any venture that proves to be lucrative regardless of it being illegal.
Arguably, the increasing rate of cyber fraud and other illegal online ventures can be attributed to most of our youth being unemployed; the unemployed youth resort to these shady online ventures to make ends meet.
Possibly, in few years to come, we will have millions of qualified youth residing and working in other countries and contributing to the economic growth of these countries whereas our economy will continue to cripple or be retarded in terms of growth.
An active and competent working force is the valuable gem of every country’s economy because its contribution to productivity and development is immense.
A country that continuously exploits the capabilities and potentials of its youth will achieve sustainable development in various sectors of its economy. In contrast, an economy that lacks the services and contributions of its youthful population is deficient and thus, economic growth is hindered.
A total of 81,081 graduates have been posted this year to various public and private agencies to work, according to the National Service Secretariat. Work officially starts today (1st November,2022). Ironically, they will be serving their own country but will dread ending up jobless after national service.
Hopefully, they will complete their mandatory national service by the end of the year and will have to face the same circumstances other graduates have faced in the retrospective years; it’s just disappointing and pathetic.
