“Ghana’s Youth Unemployment Crisis: A Call for TVET Reform and STEM Focus”

Story by Fada Amakye

The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, Lawyer George Opare Addo, has highlighted the need for reforms in Ghana’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system to address the country’s youth unemployment crisis.

Speaking at a forum, Addo noted that access to tertiary education and TVET dropped from 2.5% in 2015 to 1% in 2024, emphasizing the need for reforms to make TVET more appealing and relevant to industry needs.

Addo stressed that Ghana’s focus on humanities and social sciences, with only 23% of students in STEM fields, is misplaced, as STEM education offers better job opportunities. He also highlighted the decline in apprenticeship training among youth, particularly those aged 15-24, and called for strengthening partnerships with industries and the informal sector to provide practical skills and decent employment.

According to data from the Ghana Statistical Service, approximately 32% of Ghana’s youth were not in education, employment, or training in 2017, with the figure declining to 18.2% in 2023 but rising to 22.4% in 2024.

Addo emphasized the need for targeted initiatives to address youth unemployment and inactivity, citing government programs such as the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program and TVET reforms.