Use free SHS money to create jobs - Artisans tell govt

Founder and President of the Artisans Association of Ghana (AAG), Mr. Gideon Bidor has called on the President of Ghana, Akufo-Addo to use the money invested in Free Senior High School (SHS) to create jobs for the people.

For a period of 5 years, the government of Ghana has allocated a total amount of GH¢7.62 billion for the Free SHS programme. Whilst GH¢3.44 billion is sourced from the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA), GH¢4.18 billion is also allocated from the government of Ghana (GoG).

But the AAG president believes that this gargantuan amount could be used to create jobs for Technical and Vocational Trainees.

Speaking at the 10 years anniversary celebration of the Artisans Association of Ghana (AAG) in Kumasi over the week, Gideon Bido indicated that, although the free SHS policy is good the government should use that money to create jobs for the numerous unemployed youth in the country.

He argued that every year the country produces thousands of graduates yet, they do not get employment in both the private or government sectors. As a result, the government should consider pumping money into the TVET because the rapid development of every nation largely depends on vocational training.

“If the government will use free SHS money to create jobs, it will help to develop the nation because people graduate every year in the country yet; there are no jobs to employ them, that is why we have graduate unemployment…. So it’s only vocational skills that will help the nation,” he said.

The AAG president however entreated the youth to learn vocational skills rather than focusing on academic education that won't fetch them jobs.