The Director of Business Support and Innovation Commercialization for the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP), Mr. Franklin Owusu-Karikari has challenged the Ghanaian youth to begin to rethink and turn the changes that have emerged on the African continent into opportunities.
He says the advancement of the world driven by globalization and technology with the effects on all sectors of the economy requires the 21st Century youth to possess the right skills and competency in other to make an impact in the world.
Mr. Franklin Owusu-Karikari made this appeal during the 2023 edition of the Faculty of Social Sciences Dean’s Award Ceremony held on Thursday, 6th April 2023 at the main Auditorium at UCC.
Speaking on the theme, Disruption for My Future: The Emerging Issues of Jobs and Skills, the Director of NEIP said the world is gradually moving from a degree to a skill acquisition era with globalization and technology.
He however emphasized that it is a significant destruction in human, social, economic, and political life and for the youth to stay ahead, there is the need to learn about emerging technologies.
Mr. Franklin Owusu-Karikari, therefore, encouraged the youth to better position themselves to align with the global job trends for maximum impact in Ghana and beyond.
“How do we marry our current academic pursuit with what is happening? We need to be able to make a change. Cognitive abilities, system skills, complex solving skills, content skills, process skills all these are needed in the current place that we are going.”
On the unemployment issues in Ghana, Mr. Owusu-Karikari indicated that the country needs about three hundred thousand jobs annually to absorb the new entrant into the labour market.
“So, we need to begin to relook. Over 50% of the tertiary degrees of women occur in fields with limited or low future, we need to begin to do something about it and ensure that we can do it.”
He, therefore, called for the institution of swift employment measures to contain the estimated rise in growth of Ghana’s teeming youth.
Meanwhile, the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Akwasi Kumi-kyereme called on the awardees to work hard to maintain their class.
He said he is optimistic that the number will increase in the subsequent award ceremony.
A total of 110 first-class students comprising 45 level 200 students, 31 level 300 students, and 34 students in level 400 were awarded.
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Source: Eric Sekyi/ATLFMNEWS
