Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, has revealed that public sector National Service personnel often wait up to 10 years to secure jobs, while their private sector counterparts typically find employment within three years.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, he noted, “When we analyse the data, those who go through National Service and enter the private sector usually get jobs within a maximum of three years. In contrast, the public sector takes much longer to absorb personnel.”
He stressed the need to understand why the private sector succeeds where the public sector struggles.
“We must begin to learn from what the private sector is doing that the public sector is not. There are lessons to be applied to improve efficiency and reduce waiting times for our graduates” he said.
Mr. Opare Addo announced plans for a new programme between the National Service Secretariat (NSS) and the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), in which the private sector will lead efforts to integrate more public sector graduates into private sector opportunities.
“This initiative is part of broader reforms to bridge the gap between graduation and employment,” he said.
Disclosing the scale of the challenge, the minister explained, “Every year, our tertiary institutions produce about 200,000 graduates. Out of the roughly 1 million eligible youths, only 200,000 graduate annually. Yet, the available jobs in the public sector are small — about 5,000 to 10,000 positions. This leaves a huge number of graduates without immediate employment opportunities.”
Despite the challenges, Mr. Opare Addo stressed that hope remains through entrepreneurship, skills training, and alternative livelihood programmes.
“All is not lost. Graduates can still create opportunities for themselves through business, innovation, and vocational skills. If you look at the data, it doesn’t lie, and the numbers keep increasing. We have to equip our young people with the tools to succeed,” he added.
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