Some of the graduates
Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng, President of the Presbyterian University College, Ghana (PUCG), has indicated that the university has intensified efforts to introduce programmes which will help graduates to set up small businesses after school.
Presenting his report on the state of the university during the 12th congregation held at the auditorium of Ramseyer Presbyterian Church of Ghana at Abetifi in the Eastern Region on Saturday, Rev. Prof. Obeng, indicated that the majority of graduates look up to government for jobs after their tertiary education.
The congregation was under the theme, “Graduate Development: the Nexus of Higher Education and the Job Market.”
According to him, government jobs are limited and sometimes restricted by conditions from donor agencies.
He said the time has come for the country’s university managers to equip their students with the requisite entrepreneurial skills which would enable them to create businesses for themselves and others.
Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng said in line with this, the Presbyterian University College, Ghana has introduced courses in entrepreneurship at the undergraduate level to help solve the high graduate unemployment.
“A social intervention initiative associated with funding, coupled the creation of technology parks to enable young entrepreneurs and researchers to grow up their business ideas, as well as proper funding policy, may sharply reduce the unemployment situation in Ghana.”
The President said universities and private enterprises must forge closer ties to push the frontiers of knowledge and produce students for specific jobs required by industry.
“Although our concern in this drive is the reluctance of most vibrant enterprises to partner with private universities, especially those in the semi-urban areas, we take solace in the full scale implementation of the government’s One District, One Factory (IDIF) policy.
The recent happenings at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) must be a wake-up call for public tertiary institutions to curb admission so that private tertiary institutions can absorb the extra students.
Yofi Grant, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Investment Promotion Company (GIPC), who congratulated the graduates, revealed that his outfit has been mandated to market investment opportunities in Ghana to prospective investors.
By Solomon Ofori