Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, has stated that several public universities in the country offer programs that create unemployable graduates.
According to him, thousands of Ghanaians were graduating from universities and hunting for jobs that did not exist. Dr. Adutwum stated that his organization was working with institutions to focus on courses that are relevant to the nation as well as graduates.
He stated that the country was facing a severe difficulty in terms of some of the courses given by public colleges, adding that many students accepted to enroll in such programs simply because they wanted to attend university.
"If you look at distance learning programmes across the length and breadth of this country, particularly championed by the University of Cape Coast, so many students have been enrolled in Diploma in Education, they are being trained for jobs that do not exist," Dr Adutwum said on Tuesday at the University of Ghana, Legon's Annual New Year School. Thousands upon thousands of people are graduating for jobs that do not exist, so we spoke with them (the universities). One of my favorite courses is what is known as Sanitation Education, yet there is no Sanitation course to be taught. What is the purpose of development education? What is the purpose of the UDS, Development Studies Undergraduate Programme? So, sure, I am aware, and we are in contact with the universities. I think we need to focus on courses that have significance to that particular student and to the nation".
He stated that there was a Bachelor of Arts in Education curriculum at a university that was designed to prepare students for a "non-existent teaching career".
Dr. Adutwum stated that due to poor advice and counselling at public colleges, many students were unable to decline such programs when they were offered. He believes Ghana's unemployment problem is also related to universities teaching graduates for jobs that do not exist in the country.
Watch his speech down below;
