Gov’t explores solutions to graduate unemployment

The government has expressed its commitment to deepen efforts aimed at promoting youth entrepreneurship to drive economic growth.

The Minister for Business Development, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, said promoting youth entrepreneurship was very key in reducing graduate unemployment.

In this regard, Mr Awal said his ministry together with the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank would hold a stakeholder dialogue to explore how to promote youth entrepreneurship by identifying opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

At the opening of the African SME Summit in Accra, Mr Awal said, “The government is creating an enabling entrepreneurial environment to help fund, train and support young entrepreneurs to stand on their feet.’’.

He said when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo assumed power, one notable challenge he identified was the high rate of unemployment.

“A World Bank report indicates that about 14 per cent of Ghanaian young people are unemployed; for this reason, entrepreneurial policies are being put in place to address the issues,’’ he said.

Hope for young entrepreneurs

Mr Awal said there was hope for young entrepreneurs as government was ready to develop initiatives to enable them to thrive.

“Government has seen the importance of the youth in driving the economy. They contribute massively to gross domestic product (GDP). Government is ready to do everything to secure jobs for the people particularly the youth,” he said.

He, therefore, encouraged entrepreneurs not to give up but to focus on their dreams and also take advantage of opportunities to develop their skills to the benefit of all.

Mentoring

The minister also encouraged chief executives to mentor the youth who come for national service and internship as it would to help bridge the unemployment gap.

“If CEOs can at least train two youth who go to their organisations for national service, it will go a long way to develop their capacity. These young people are full of great ideas, all that they need is a little push,” he said.