Prof. Smart Sarpong Identifies Four Categories of Graduate Unemployment, Urges Youth Entrepreneurship
Professor Smart Sarpong, Director of Research and Development,- KSTU has outlined a comprehensive framework for understanding graduate unemployment in Ghana, categorizing jobless graduates into four distinct groups during his appearance on Kessben TV’s Democracy Show last Saturday.
Speaking on the popular political program, Prof. Sarpong classified unemployed graduates as follows: “We have the structurally unemployed, frictionally unemployed, seasonally unemployed, and voluntarily unemployed,” he explained, providing a systematic approach to analysing the country’s youth employment challenges.
The academic emphasized the importance of youth self-reliance, stating that “the youth can start small businesses without waiting for the government to employ them.” This call for entrepreneurship comes amid ongoing concerns about graduate unemployment rates in the country.
Prof. Sarpong also highlighted existing government initiatives designed to address youth unemployment. “I urge the young people to take advantage of government’s flagship interventions such as the National Apprenticeship Programme, one million coders programme, among others,” he said during the televised discussion.
The professor’s categorization provides a nuanced understanding of unemployment beyond simple statistics, recognizing that different types of joblessness require different solutions. His emphasis on combining government programs with individual entrepreneurial initiative suggests a multi-pronged approach to tackling youth unemployment in Ghana.
The Democracy Show discussion comes at a time when graduate unemployment remains a significant concern for policymakers and young Ghanaians seeking economic opportunities.
