CONFERENCE OF RECTORS, VICE CHANCELLORS AND PRESIDENTS OF AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES (COREVIP) Organized By Association Of African Universities (AAU) In Collaboration with the University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda “Curbing Graduate Unemployment in Africa: Students Perspective” AWAAH FRED Secretary General (Head of Mission) All-Africa Students Union (AASU) June 2-5, 2015 | Serena Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda

BACKGROUND Over 40 percent of the global jobless people are youth. This global phenomenon has become more pertinent since 2007 owing to the global economic crunch. Since, 2007, youth unemployment has increased over 4 million totaling up to 75 million and putting the current global rate at 12.6 percent (ILO, 2012). A distinction is usually made between the educated youth and the uneducated youth in the unemployment nexus and it is within this broader perspective that graduate unemployment should be understood.

BACKGROUND Generally, unemployment is highest among the educated youth as against the uneducated (UNECA, 2010). This educated joblessness is what has now become known as graduate unemployment where people with university degrees cannot find decent jobs.

THE GHANAIAN CONTEXT In Ghana, 70,000 graduates from various tertiary institutions join the labour force every year. Only about 5,000 are lucky enough to be employed (Ghana Graduate Business Support Scheme) Ghana employers complain about the quality of recent graduates while the graduates complain of lack of jobs. (Karikari-Ababio, 2006) Educational system in Ghana “continues to pour unskilled, semi-skilled and unemployable graduates into a job market (Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment)

THE GHANAIAN CONTEXT The Ministry of Education has lamented on the extent of skills labour mismatch in the Ghanaian economy. According to the National Education Sector Performance Report, 2010: “New businesses in Ghana list lack of skills as a major factor influencing their decision to relocate elsewhere. Job vacancies cannot be filed because of lack of skills. Ghana is losing business to competitors as a result of the lack of skilled workers. Skill gaps within employers’ existing workforce are also a significant problem...”

THE GHANAIAN CONTEXT At the same time, there is also an excess of demand over supply of labour in terms of both size and qualifications, leading to a qualification deficit and rising levels of unemployment. For instance, beginning from the eighties, the size of the Cocoa Board’s payroll was reduced from 100,000 to 50,000, as part of the retrenchment exercise. The civil service also lost 36,000 jobs by the same token. Private sector employment fell from about 149,000 in 1960 to 31,000 in 1991, representing a decrease of about 79.2% and an average decline of 2.7% per annum.

THE GHANAIAN CONTEXT Over the period between 1985 and 1990 alone public sector retrenchment and redeployment is estimated to have contributed to about 89% of the loss of about 235,000 formal sector jobs. Indeed the labour market to date does not seem to have recovered from this serious blow.

THE GHANAIAN CONTEXT This is underscored by the substantial decline in the overall employment, as reflected in the labour participation rate,

PERSPECTIVES ACROSS THE CONTINENT Causes of Graduate Unemployment Findings from the a study conducted by AASU revealed that the causes of graduate unemployment from the students’ perspective are: Improper training of graduates Insufficient practical training while in school Excess of supply of demand Non-transparent recruitment procedures

PERSPECTIVES ACROSS THE CONTINENT Curbing Graduate Unemployment Students must continually engage employer associations and governments on what they expect of graduates in the labor market. University authorities to establish industrial relations units that will ensure ample practical training opportunities are created for students during the long vacation periods. Students unleash their creativity in the areas of coming up with feasible and profitable proposals for both government and private enterprises. Students equip themselves with the requisite knowledge, attitudes and skills that will give them a competitive edge in an increasingly globalized world Student Representative Councils set up graduate entrepreneurship fund in partnership with financial institutions.

CONCLUDING REMARKS It is obvious that, the causes of graduate unemployment in Africa cannot be attributed to a single stakeholder. In line with that, a multi- stakeholder approach is necessary in curbing the canker in Africa. Whiles it is expected of national accreditation bodies, universities, governments, continental bodies like the AAU to play their roles towards curbing graduate unemployment in Africa, students who eventually become graduates and are affected by this canker have an equally important role to play towards curbing unemployment in Africa.

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