Ghana’s unemployment situation is worsening with no immediate solution to its abatement, says Prof. Sam Afranie, Provost of the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

He however believes academia has to play a lead role in empowering young graduates with knowledge and skills in entrepreneurship to face the world of work.

The CASS is partnering the KNUST’s Centre for Business Development (CBD) to host the 2nd Entrepreneurship Clinic at the KNUST, holding from February 1 to March 8, 2013.

Prof. Afranie is confident such programmes would provide the impetus to reduce the rate of unemployment.

“The problem of unemployment is getting worse; even we have an Association of Unemployed Graduates... we in the universities must contribute in solving this problem and one of the solutions is this entrepreneurship clinic”, he stated.

The six-week programme targets final year students in tertiary institutions with the impartation of skills and creation of opportunities for successful entrepreneurship and value addition to enterprises.

Head of the CBD, Ralph Nyadu-Addo, says students will be empowered with the requisite knowledge in all aspects of the entrepreneurship and small business management as well as professional and business ethics.

He tells Luv Biz Report previous clinics have had significant impact in breeding a crop of students with entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship mindset.

“We have been overwhelmed by over 50 students coming in with their business plans for us to help them straighten up and even some have over ten registered companies in one area or another”, noted Mr. Nyadu-Addo.

According to him, “the idea is not to necessarily help them to immediately start their businesses but also to be able to work in other companies, by way of preparing themselves to launch their own business”.

Mr Nyadu-Addo, who chairs the programme planning committee, says areas of interest will include managing and sustaining a business in Ghana; understanding the business environment and opportunities and threats it presents; discovering and utilizing potentials in life and coping with life after school; as well as understanding the business financing systems of Ghana including micro financing.

The programme would be crowned with “Mentors Day” where renowned Ghanaian entrepreneurs and captains of industry will share experiences with and interact with participants.

Managing Director of Airtel Ghana, Philip Sowah, was the first corporate leader to take the students through some tenets in establishing successful ventures or excelling in other organizations.

He enjoined the youth to explore the political, economic, social, environment and legal environment before venturing a business.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh