Graduates to go into entrepreneurship

By: Tagoe Ilyich

At least, about 6 out of 10 graduates in Ghana do not get jobs after school due to the current global unemployment crisis. Everyone is looking up to the gov’t for the provision of jobs but gov’t is not the only one to be blamed for this unfortunate crisis, it’s global and hence Graduates themselves must take responsibility for the creation of jobs for themselves either sole businesses or Joint ventures.
Researches have shown that increasing numbers of students are setting up their own businesses after leaving university and polytechnic. Although, the actual number of graduates that embark on entrepreneurial career progression are not known it is estimated that most of these graduates are freelance or self-employed six months after graduation. There have been many programmes and initiatives that are to foster the growth of entrepreneurship in Ghana, some of which includes Venture Capital (angels), MASLOC, LESDEP, and Youth in Agriculture as to mention a few and other private initiatives towards promoting Entrepreneurship amongst youth and Graduates. As graduates are been encouraged to venture into their own businesses it is also important for gov’t to improve and strengthen facilities and avenues for support for such graduates as they strive to find solution to their own unemployment plight.
For graduates who go into this direction, it is imperative for them to know some tips on how to develop their entrepreneurial skills and learn how that will help them in whatever path they choose. In order to be a successful entrepreneur, you need initiative, sound commercial sense, creativity, motivation and drive, and leadership – all qualities that are highly sought after in the graduate jobs market. You might even be able to become an ‘entrepreneurs’. You should also know that many entrepreneurs were put in a stint of working in industry as employees before getting started on their own. Find yourself a very simple job, not instrumentally oriented (money conscious) but for experience that will guide your decisions when you start your own business. As an entrepreneur you need to be capable of both having original ideas and seeing them through. You must have the stamina and determination to kick-start a project, stick with it, and get it finished as well as being stubborn and resilient enough to cope with setbacks and handle stress, willing to take calculated risks, and be a problem solver who can spot the opportunity in a challenge.
Speaking to the PRO of the Ministry of Youth and sports, he said “this is a laudable idea, not that is not there, but at least we need to encourage more and more of our graduates to go into entrepreneurship to help curb the unemployment situation in this country”.