James Fofie Ayirebi
A practicing teacher, fashion designer cum student at the University of Education, Winneba, James Fofie Ayirebi has strongly stated that the unemployment issue in Ghana can best be curtailed if students turn to the creative art sector.
He explained in an interview with asempanews.com that courses in pure sciences, business, and humanitarian disciplines require that one be absorbed by an already established organization which are lacking in the country.
“Securing these white collar jobs in banking, humanitarian, legal sector etc is becoming increasingly difficult as the graduate to job ratios have become so imbalanced that the masses of unemployed graduates are clamoring for the few opportunities available. This is why, the youth who have the flare in art should be encouraged to pursue creative art and develop their talent to produce goods that are in demand to guarantee them a business to serve as their livelihood,” he averred.
“With my side job as a fashion designer, I do not touch the salary from my teaching job as the clothing business earns me enough money to take care of myself and my family” Mr. Ayirebi noted.
Quizzed on why he decided to take on a second career in teaching, he said “Sewing is quiet labour intensive, so I decided to go into teaching so that later in life when, I’m aged and unable to rigorously sew, I can fall on the regular pension from the formal sector to support myself.”
Mr. Ayirebi further explained that though the quality of the creative art curriculum at different levels in our educational system is good, inadequate time and resources pose a challenge to the practical experience for art students.
He, thus, urged teachers to take students to field trips to acquire these practical skills they could not access in their schools.
