Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Association of Banks, John Awuah, has called for greater investment in practical skills training and entrepreneurship to help address youth unemployment and fill critical gaps in Ghana’s labour market.
He said the shortage of skilled tradespeople, including competent plumbers, highlighted opportunities for young people to establish businesses and earn sustainable incomes outside conventional corporate employment.
Speaking at the 15th Absa-UPSA Law School Quarterly Banking Roundtable, Mr Awuah said Ghana needed to rethink its definition of employment and develop a national job creation framework that would prepare young people for diverse economic opportunities.
“If you need a plumber, a good plumber, it’s a struggle,” he said, pointing to the difficulty households and businesses face in finding skilled professionals to provide essential services.
He argued that the demand for such services presented an opportunity to create jobs while addressing practical needs across the economy.
Mr Awuah urged policymakers to develop systems that would enable unemployed graduates and other young people to acquire relevant skills, establish enterprises and engage in sustainable income-generating activities.
He cautioned against limiting the concept of employment to securing positions in large companies, saying such an approach could prevent young people from recognising alternative career paths.
“If our thinking of job is to work in Absa or MTN or Goldfields Ghana, no,” he said.
According to him, employment should be understood more broadly to include any legitimate activity that enables people to earn a living and meet their financial obligations.
“We need to begin seeing jobs as what pays our bills and the things that we do,” he said.
Mr Awuah maintained that integrating entrepreneurship and practical skills development into education could help bridge the gap between the skills young people possess and the services the economy needs.
He further warned that the absence of viable livelihood opportunities could expose some young people to criminal activities, stressing the importance of creating legitimate pathways to economic independence.
He said a national framework that recognised entrepreneurship, skilled trades and other forms of productive work would help young people build sustainable livelihoods while contributing to Ghana’s economic development.
