Skills training is one of the most effective ways to address the growing unemployment rate in Ghana, the Director of Sar Consult, Sidik Abdul-Rahman has indicated.
He expressed concern over the increasing number of graduates from various universities who are unable to secure job opportunities.
As at the first three quarters of 2023, the average unemployment rate in the country rose to 14.7 percent.
The number of unemployed youth aged 15 to 35 increased from approximately 1.2 million to over 1.3 million during this period, with the unemployment rate among females consistently higher than that of males.
For the past 11 years, Sar Consult has trained hundreds of students in various skills, including bakery, decoration, event management, soap making, cookery among others.
In light of this, Mr. Rahman noted that it’s significant to prioritize technical and vocational education training.
“We believe that focusing on technical and vocational education is one of the surest ways for the country to progress,” he stated after the graduation of 11 students from the school in Kumasi.
The Director also noted that the school has continued to collaborate with other institutions, including the National Service Authority, to equip young people with employable skills.
He urged the government to support schools like his and invest in technical and vocational education to boost the local economy and create sustainable jobs for the youth.
The graduands expressed their gratitude to the school authorities for effectively guiding them through their courses and encouraged other young people to follow suit.
One of the students, Suallah Sahadatu, urged graduates who are currently unemployed to take advantage of skills training institutions to acquire employable skills.
She believes that the informal sector often offers better pay than many jobs in the formal sector, and therefore, the youth should embrace skills training.
