Former Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has criticised some university programmes in Ghana, describing them as courses that do not adequately prepare graduates for the demands of the labour market.
Speaking on the Konnected Minds podcast, Dr. Adutwum argued that some tertiary institutions are offering programmes without proper alignment with national workforce needs, resulting in graduates obtaining qualifications with limited employment opportunities.
He said universities must base their programmes on labour market assessments to determine areas where the country requires more skilled professionals, including engineers, medical practitioners and nurses.
According to him, without a clear understanding of national manpower requirements, tertiary education risks becoming a process of simply awarding degrees without ensuring graduates have relevant career pathways.
Dr. Adutwum cited programmes such as Development Studies at the University for Development Studies (UDS) and BA in Education Non-Teaching at the University of Ghana as examples of courses he believes require reassessment.
He questioned the career prospects for graduates of such programmes, arguing that some do not provide clear professional qualifications that match available opportunities in industry.
“When I was the minister, I challenged universities about that,” he said, adding that education should be directed towards creating employable skills rather than producing graduates without clear career destinations.
The former minister also accused some universities of prioritising student enrolment and revenue generation over national development objectives by introducing programmes mainly because students are willing to pay fees.
Dr. Adutwum called on the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to play a stronger role in ensuring that university courses are aligned with Ghana’s economic priorities and labour market demands.
He pointed to countries such as India, which he said strategically developed its information technology sector through education planning, as an example Ghana could learn from.
He maintained that reforming the tertiary education system is necessary to address graduate unemployment and ensure that higher education produces skilled professionals capable of contributing to national development.
