Member of Parliament, Dr. Stephen Amoah, has called for the inclusion of Entrepreneurship in Ghana’s Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High School (SHS) curricula as part of efforts to tackle rising youth unemployment and stimulate economic growth.
Presenting a statement on the floor of Parliament, Dr. Amoah stressed that entrepreneurship has become a major driver of global economic development and must be integrated into Ghana’s education system to prepare young people for the realities of today’s job market.
According to him, entrepreneurship involves the ability to establish and develop a business venture with the aim of making profit, rather than depending solely on employment opportunities created by others.
Rising Graduate Unemployment
Dr. Amoah cited data from the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), indicating that only about 10 percent of Ghanaian graduates secure employment within one year after graduation. He further referenced surveys by the Ghana Statistical Service which show that graduates spend an average of five years searching for jobs.
With approximately 109,874 students graduating from universities annually, he noted that only around 10,000 secure employment within a year, leaving nearly 100,000 graduates unemployed each year.
He warned that persistent unemployment among the youth has contributed to various social challenges, including insecurity, robbery, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, and other societal concerns.
Entrepreneurship as the Way Forward
Dr. Amoah emphasized that globally, entrepreneurship remains the engine of socio-economic growth, pointing to innovations such as electricity, computers, the internet, and modern medical technologies as products of entrepreneurial initiatives.
He argued that Ghana, being endowed with abundant natural resources and commercially viable raw materials, has enormous potential to create jobs through private sector-led entrepreneurship.
However, he acknowledged that Ghana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem remains weak, citing limited coordination among stakeholders and insufficient structural capacity to fully support job creation.
The Proposal
The MP is advocating for Entrepreneurship to be introduced as:
• A core subject at the Junior High School level, and
• An elective subject at the Senior High School level.
He urged the Ministry of Education and relevant stakeholders to take immediate steps to incorporate entrepreneurship into the academic curriculum, stating that early exposure would nurture innovation, creativity, and self-employment among the youth.
Dr. Amoah concluded that integrating entrepreneurship into Ghana’s education system would not only reduce unemployment but also boost economic growth, reduce government burden, and support the country’s import substitution agenda.
