CRG Seminar: Youth employment programmes and entrepreneurship development: Evidence of potentials and stressors from selected municipalities in Ghana

Several governments, especially in the global South, have introduced youth employment programmes as strategies to stem rising youth unemployment, with the view to prepare them for employment and entrepreneurship. However, youth unemployment continues to grow faster as a component of unemployment, particularly in many African countries. This threatens efforts to achieve inclusive development with sustainable jobs and livelihoods. In this seminar, Dr Gabriel Botchwey examines the conditions under which youth employment programmes promote entrepreneurship and sustainable employment, as well as identifying critical success factors and associated stressors. Dr Botchwey draws on a qualitative study he conducted with participants across six districts and municipalities in the central region of Ghana. Participants included 44 current and former participants in youth employment programmes and coordinators.

Findings show that there appears to be no clearly articulated entrepreneurial training included in the preparation before or during placements. Moreover, there appears to be a mismatch between the training received by participants in the educational system and the job market. Most participants were placed in public sector institutions with very little motivation to be involved in entrepreneurial activities, and they encountered significant difficulties in gaining employment after placement due to inadequate employment opportunities, inadequate training for self-employment, lack of financial resources, nepotism and corruption. These findings need to be taken into account in the design and implementation of youth employment programmes to make them more productive, and contribute to the attainment sustainable employment and inclusive development. They also raise further questions about the training provided in educational institutions and employment.

This seminar is organised by the CRG Governance, entrepreneurship and inclusive development.