Better having jobless graduates than jobless illiterates – VRA CEO

Volta River Authority (VRA) CEO, Isaac Kirk Koffi, has said it is better to have a country with unemployed graduates than to have unemployed illiterates.

According to him, government is doing everything possible to deal with unemployment and expressed confidence in the growth of the economy, which, he said will translate into job creation for Ghanaians.

Mr Koffi disclosed this to Class News at Akosombo when the VRA, through its Community Development Programme (CDP), presented scholarships to 61 brilliant but needy students, who live in communities where the state power producer operates.

Mr Koffi held the view that graduates should be taught not to depend on the public sector, but should endeavour to look at how they can do something for themselves with their qualifications or certificates.

“Graduate unemployment is not only in Ghana, it is everywhere in the world and I know government and everybody is trying to do their best to resolve it. Now, Ghana is a lower-middle income country with the economy improving. Definitely, job creation will come up, but it is better to have graduates, who are unemployed than to have nongraduates or illiterates, who are unemployed, and I think people should also be taught not to depend on the public sector, but to also look at what they can do for themselves with what qualifications or degrees they get. I can see things becoming better for us as a people”, he stated.

The 2015/2016 scholarship awards, which cost the Authority about GHS600, 000, were under the theme, "Creating opportunities and partnership through VRA scholarships for the next generation."

Of the 61 beneficiaries, 46 of them will have the entire cost of their education at the Senior High School level taken care of, while the remaining 15 will have their tertiary education expenses paid.

Mr Koffi admonished the beneficiaries to appreciate the gesture by studying hard, stressing that they should not fail themselves, their families, the VRA and the state.