Dr. Kwame Baah-Nuako, General Manager for Sustainability at the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has called on industries to be at the forefront of pioneering demand-driven training to reduce unemployment.

He however indicated that, it is the responsibility of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to tell government the skill-sets required and sectors that need policy direction.

Dr. Baah-Nuako in an interview with Goldstreet Business said that some industries lacked skills development initiatives that are customised to respond directly to specific requirements of a job role to enable employers determine the kind of training to offer to its employees..

‘’There are so many engineers from a lot of our universities who are unemployed today because the industry rates the technician above the engineer because the oil and gas sector for instance, requires more technicians than engineers,’’ he added.

Dr. Baah-Nuako said traditionally, youth development and workforce programs might raise awareness about local job openings, but so often, there aren’t jobs for students and trainees, or a reasonable expectation for one.

He called on government to consider the resources going to youth development, workforce development and entrepreneurship programs that lead to placement and retention in the formal and informal sector with the prospect of career advancement and stable businesses.

‘’There must be a consideration in the implications in the volume of wasted talent and aspiration among young job seekers,’’ he added.

TVET training and education for a demand-driven workforce

President Akufo-Addo earlier announced his government will construct 20 Technical, Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions across the country to demonstrate his commitment to technical and vocation education.

His government, he added, will equip and upgrade some 35 existing TVET institutions across the country.

The German Development Agency (GIZ) and European Union (EU) however, last month launched the Vocational Education and Training (VET) Toolbox with the objective to help train a highly skilled workforce, able to support the development of local industries.

The move seeks to promote demand-driven, inclusive vocational education and training, while targeting short-term technical expertise, and funding initiatives that promote inclusion of vulnerable groups in the formal and informal labour market.