Create the jobs - Oasis boss tells graduates

Instead of seeking employment after school, it is about time graduates from the various business institutions in the country embraced the fact that there are limited job opportunities in the public sector and became fired up for entrepreneurship, says Matthew Boadi Adjei, Chief Executive Officer of Oasis Capital Limited.

Speaking to the B&FT in an interview, he said the only way toward a sustainable job market for the country is through the private sector -- hence the need for a strong entrepreneurship drive among business graduates and the youth in general.

“I think the youth of this country have gotten to a stage where they need to fire-up because the employment opportunities that we used to have in the government sector are now limited. Creating a sustainable job market for the country now hangs on the shoulders of the private sector, and business graduates especially.”

To achieve this, he suggested that business schools and educational institutions must inculcate the culture and spirit of entrepreneurship in students so that they will leave school not to look for employment but to rather create it.

Mr. Adjei said by offering entrepreneurial-based programmes in the various business institutions, students will be encouraged to start their own businesses when they come out of school.

“Courses on entrepreneurship and innovation studies should be an integral part of the educational curriculum in our tertiary business institutions, to change the mindsets of graduates from seeking employment to being employers.

“One unique initiative would also be to promote the setting-up of business incubation centres on campuses to provide potential entrepreneurs with the requisite experience, skills and networks as well as the mentorship that fresh graduates will need to venture into business.”

The issue of graduate unemployment remains a serious challenge to government, considering the huge turnout from the country’s various tertiary institutions on an annual basis without commensurate job opportunities.

Deputy Western Regional Minister, Ekow Gyan, speaking at the Western Business and Investment Fair in Takoradi last week said the high prevalence of unemployment in the economy can be minimised by linking the needs of industry to tertiary institutions, which will equip graduates with the requisite skills to meet the needs of industry.

He said efforts must be geared toward breaking the chasm that exists between the two, to make our graduates attractive in the global job market while equipping them with entrepreneurial skills.