Accra: Dr Stephen Amoah, Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, has advocated the urgent need to include entrepreneurship as a core subject in the Junior High School (JHS) academic curricula and as an elective course in the Senior High School (SHS) curricula, respectively. The legislator believes that integrating entrepreneurship into the education system will ignite students' interest and enable them to create their own businesses after school, thus reducing youth unemployment and easing the pressure on the government to find public sector jobs for graduates.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Stephen Amoah made these remarks in a statement read on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday. He emphasized that entrepreneurship, which involves setting up and developing one's own business for profit, should be given national attention to stimulate socio-economic growth and stability. The Nhyiaeso lawmaker highlighted that a congested job market in Ghana leaves many youths in undesirable situations, such as insecurity, armed robbery, teenage pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases.
The Data Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research reports that only 10 per cent of Ghanaian graduates secure jobs within a year of graduation. Dr Amoah suggested that integrating entrepreneurship as a key policy intervention could address graduate unemployment. The Ghana Statistical Service also noted the challenging and stressful nature of graduate job-hunting post-graduation. Furthermore, the Ghana Education Sector Report stated that about 109,874 students graduate annually from universities, but only 10 per cent secure regular jobs within a year.
Dr Amoah concluded by stating that Ghana, as a developing nation with abundant natural resources, must leverage these resources to create jobs for its youth, allowing them to contribute to national development.
