Chamber of Graduate Entrepreneurs inaugurated

Ghana Chamber of Graduate Entrepreneurs, an association to help graduates to set up their own businesses instead of searching for non-existent white-collar jobs, has been inaugurated in Accra.

Among other objectives, the organisation will train graduates and provide them with the technical and financial support to build their own businesses.

In addition, the chamber would link graduates to business schools in Ghana to build their capacity and equip them with business development skills.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Graduate Entrepreneurs, Nana Sam, explained at the inauguration of the chamber in Accra on Monday that the objectives of the chamber were to identify, nurture, grow and build graduate entrepreneurs.

In addition, he said the mission of the chamber was to help address the growing unemployment in the country, by supporting graduates to establish their own businesses.

He explained that majority of graduates had the urge to establish their own businesses instead of looking up to the government for jobs, but did not have the skills and financial capacity.

Mr Sam observed that about 75 percent of enterprises collapsed some few years after their establishment due to poor business and management practices.

“Given the right support, fresh and old graduates can create their own businesses or be job creators, instead of seeking white-collar jobs after completing school,” he said.

The Head of Client Service of the Registrar-General’s Department, Mrs Matilda Osei, urged entrepreneurs to be innovative.

That, she said, was the only way they could create a niche for themselves and break into other markets outside Ghana.

Mrs Osei advised entrepreneurs to register their businesses and document all their business operations.

Mrs Osei said that was critical because it would be a source of information for investors who want to invest in their business.

On how to raise finance for their business, she suggested that entrepreneurs could fall on their family, friends or form partnerships.