A Professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has said the government must accept that it has not been able to create the enabling environment to support private individuals who will want to go into entrepreneurship.
Prof Gyampo was reacting to comments by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, who had overserved that there is a gap between what students learn in the universities and what industry requires of them when they graduate.
Mr Ofori Atta had indicated that employers are unable to find graduates with the skills sets they are looking for to occupy specific positions.
However, Gyampo believes the finance minister must accept part of the blame for the joblessness because he has failed to create an environment that makes entrepreneurs thrive.
Speaking in an interview with TV3, Prof Gyampo said “Our core mandate is to train people, train their minds so that their minds become so fertile to be able to fit into any other situation they find themselves.
“That is the reason why somebody studies Linguistics, Philosophies and is able to get out of school and is able to head a bank.”
He added “As far as I ma concerned we have several vocational training centres and they churn out students who still cannot find jobs. If you like let us now convert the universities into vocational training centres and see whether the students who go out will find the jobs.
‘Rather than trying to put the blame on on us us, I think he should accept part of the blame by admitting the fact that they have not been also able to create that kind of environment that would enable people or entrepreneurs to survive.
“Anytime there are interventions for private key people who want to go into entrepreneurship, these interventions go to party foot soldiers, people who are completely clueless about setting up businesses, they are completely ignorant.”