Employment measures have not worked - ISSER report

Government interventions intended to reduce youth unemployment have since 2015 failed to effectively address the issue, a report on a study by the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) has established.

The report further emphasised that while initiatives such as the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Youth in Agriculture Programme (YiAP), and Nation Builders Corps (NABCO) offered training and job placement opportunities, they often overlooked youth interests, as the training modules and job offerings were developed without the direct input of the intended beneficiaries.

It identified two main causes of high youth unemployment in the country: a significant mismatch between the skills gained through training and labour market demands, and a shortage of job opportunities to accommodate the increasing number of young people entering the workforce.

These are some of the findings of the study included in the report titled “Ghana Social Development Outlook (GSDO) Report 2024”.

The report, which was launched last Friday, attracted personalities such as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs of the University of Ghana, Professor Gordon Akanzuwine Awandare, and the Executive Director of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, with the Executive Director of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the local chapter of Transparency International, Mary Awelana Addah, chairing the function.

The report is structured in 10 chapters covering education, health, housing, water and sanitation, employment, energy, gender equity, social relations, and population, among others, providing timely insights supported by data and expert analysis.

The 2024 edition is the seventh in the series of the report.

Findings

The Head of Social Division of ISSER, Dr Martha Awo, who shared the report findings, stated that government programmes such as NEIP and YiAP offered training modules, while NABCO, for instance, was focused exclusively on job placement.

She explained that the training programmes were focused primarily on the agricultural sector and entrepreneurship.  

Dr Awo said job placement programmes did not centre on the provision of what the International Labour Organisation would classify as decent jobs.  

She said payment of arrears, in particular, led to disaffection among beneficiaries towards the system.  

“Young people's interests are not central to the development of either the training modules or the kinds of jobs on offer for them,” she said.

Going forward, Dr Awo suggested efforts to ensure that the training opportunities provided were fit for purpose and that the intended jobs were decent enough.  

“Young people should be included in the design of the training and job placement programmes. A tracer study should also be conducted to determine the extent to which these programmes shape the trajectories of young people,” she said.

Employment policy

The Director of ISSER, Prof. Peter Quartey, called on the government to develop a comprehensive employment policy to provide decent jobs for the youth in the country.

He explained that the proposed policy should harmonise the various youth employment initiatives introduced by past governments into a cohesive document, ensuring continuity and stability rather than the current practice of changing programmes with each new regime.

The ISSER Director said the country could support its development agenda and create meaningful opportunities for young people.

Prof. Quartey said the report, published biennially since 2012 by ISSER’s Social Division, had become a key resource for tracking the country’s social development progress.

“Each edition reflects our commitment to providing accessible, evidence-based analysis that informs policy and contributes meaningfully to national development discourse.

“Over the past six years, we have benefited from the support of industry partners such as the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), Ghana, whose contributions have strengthened our dissemination efforts, including the production of policy briefs, organisation of events, and targeted media engagements,” he added.