Former President John Dramani Mahama has raised concerns about increasing structural unemployment in Ghana, attributing it to a widening gap between the skills graduates acquire and the competencies industry requires.
Speaking on Saturday, December 6, at the Doha Forum on Economic Empowerment in Africa: Pathway to Inclusive Prosperity, Mahama noted that universities continue to produce large numbers of graduates in fields that do not match available job opportunities.
“Employers across Ghana are calling for middle-level technicians rather than graduates with high academic qualifications,” he said. “Industry leaders are searching for technicians more than professors and other high academic laurels.”
Mahama emphasized that while job openings exist, many remain unfilled because graduates lack the practical and technical skills needed for the workplace. “We are not training enough for the world of work. There are jobs looking for technicians, yet we continue to produce more business administration, marketing, and humanities graduates,” he added.
He also underlined the need to prepare young people for emerging opportunities in the digital economy.
“By 2030, an estimated 230 million digital jobs will be available in Africa. We must equip our youth to take full advantage of that,” he said.
Mahama warned that unskilled youth face heightened vulnerability to exploitation by criminal networks, including drug traffickers and terrorist groups.
He stressed that expanding technical, vocational, and digital training is essential to ensuring Ghana’s youth can secure decent employment and build sustainable futures.
As part of these efforts, the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP), launched in April, provides hands-on training in carpentry, plumbing, auto mechanics, agro-processing, tailoring, and electrical work. The initiative currently targets 10,000 apprentices across all 261 districts, with plans to scale up to 100,000 annually, including dedicated slots for women and persons with disabilities.
