If I were a young graduate

Last Saturday, I was at Great Hall of the University of Ghana. As an alumnus, I haven’t been there for several years.

The drive to the hall was slow, as it is typical of most graduation ceremonies. The sheer number of cars moving towards the same venue caused a bit of traffic and the large number of people who were trooping up and down the hill made it an interesting sight.

There were all manner of people scattered on the lawns, in the pavements, along the many staircases and the frontage of the Great Hall. I noticed the older men and women taking calculated slow steps in order not to lose their balance and I also saw the middle-aged who took their moderate steps to the place. And of course, there was the young who were there in their numbers.

Some had medium and flat shoes which are very suitable for walking up and down the hill and there were adventurous young women who came in their high heels. You don’t walk to the Great Hall in high heels.

I also noticed how the open field around the Great Hall had been turned into a big market with all sorts of food and drinks on sale. There seemed to be a fierce battle for supremacy between Kebab sellers and photographers who had lined up there with very creative banners of all shapes and sizes. Who says Ghanaians are not enterprising?

Things have changed a bit although the changes took long in coming. When I left the university, I had to wait for several months for the graduation ceremony. Now the school has two sets of graduation ceremonies on the same day – one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Another set of students will graduate in November. This is a smart move.

As we hassled to find a place to park, I couldn’t help but once again admire the nice architecture of the university which I had attended three times – first in 1992, 1998 and 2006. I miss the white and not too white walls, the long heavy benches in the dining halls and the stone slabs on which we sat outside the departments.

I miss the long walk in the evening around the Sarah Hall to the N blocks and the famous ‘Accra by night’. In my time, there was no “dumsor” so you could enjoy the night out around Commonwealth Hall and the Great Hall. Now I don’t know how the place looks like on a “dumsor” night.

We found a good spot in front of the Great Hall to park. We sat waiting anxiously for the formal ceremony to end. Finally the students came out clad in their academic gowns filled with “academic pomposity,” whatever that means.

I was there to support three people – two young doctors- one was my husband’s nephew and the other was a young man who was supported by the MTN Ghana Foundation.

I had high hopes for them because as doctors, their jobs are already cut out. These young doctors could smile confidently and take their pictures and celebrate in style for the future looked bright and the prestige of being called a doctor was now a reality. I was there also to congratulate a friend from my church who had just graduated with a Masters in Information Studies.

I was happy for her because I remember when she started her course and before I knew she called to inform me she had completed the one-year programme. How time flies. People like her who had their regular job need not fear graduation because the additional degree they had acquired will help enhance their skills in their workplaces.

As I looked at the graduates I begun to analyse the fate of the last group – the young school leavers who I believe are not sure of what sort of opportunities is available for them. It will not be an easy task finding placement after school. With the high rate of unemployment in the country and generally in many other countries in the world, it will be a Herculean task to find good jobs.

In Ghana, many institutions, including the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), have lamented and warned of the worsening graduate unemployment in the country. The increasing rate of unemployment is very worrying and with the challenging economic conditions, the ability for businesses and government to recruit more people is almost non-existent.

Young graduates of today need to be extra skilful. They must add value to their certificates and this does not mean getting a Master’s degree (the craze for acquiring MBAs have now become more of a fashionable trend than a necessity). They have to be clear about what profession they want to follow. Some have to experiment new ideas, think through the problems of society and create new business ideas.

It will mean that most graduates will have to come together to start their own businesses.

It will be difficult from the beginning due to lack of credit and knowhow but it is not impossible. “Man must live” and you can only live by thinking through today’s problems and finding solutions to them.

I believe that in as much as Ghana has many challenges that need solutions, there are equal or more opportunities in the midst of it. Young people have to be innovative in turning things around.

Value addition also means that they could take up unpaid jobs to acquire the much needed experience and exposure to enhance their CVs instead of wasting years waiting for job opportunities only to miss out on some of them because they do not have the required experience.

So if I were a young graduate, I will learn to exhibit the right attitude, manage my time profitably, improve my skills and learn fast even if I have to offer voluntary service in order to stay relevant. Young people have mobile phones and the internet at their disposal. All the skills they need are there.

So to all those who graduated these past few days, I congratulate you and wish you the very best as you find a good place to serve and share your skills. Especially for the young doctors, I pray you will stay to serve the people of Ghana and I hope that government would work to improve your working conditions. And please no strikes.