"Place demand on Universities to get students \u2018fit\u2019 for the world of work \u2013 Dean of UGBS tells captains of Industries"

" \n The Dean of the University of Ghana Business Schools (UGBS), Professor Justice Bawole, has asked businesses to place demand on Universities as to what they require of students for employment opportunities in the world of work. \n \n\n \n According to Professor Bawole, despite the numerous complaints by captains of industries on Universities churning out students who are not suited for the world work, the industries themselves have failed to clearly spell out what they require from both Universities and students. \n \n\n \n Prof Bawole made the assertion during an interview on Business Edition of Joy News PM Express monitored by norvanreports on how the gap between business schools and the world of work can be bridged. \n \n\n \n \u201cSo yes we hear the complaints from industries, but one of the things businesses and captains of industries haven\u2019t helped the Universities with is what they require from students when they have to employ them. If industries want students that can perform in the place of work, then they should put that demand on Universities and the students as well,\u201d he noted. \n \n\n \n Reacting to criticisms by the industry that, curriculums of Universities are too theoretical and not practical and that is mainly to be blamed for the poor performance of graduates at the world of work, Prof Bawole partly accepting the criticisms, noted that Universities by their very formation are meant to be theoretical. \n \n\n \n \u201cMost of the things done in the University are theoretical and that is because it is to help students develop critical thinking skills and for them to be able to adapt to new and emerging circumstances. Theory is very important because every practical life event has its explanation in theory and students must be able to understand the root causes of things that happen for them to be able to analyse them,\u201d he noted. \n \n\n \n \u201cBut that notwithstanding, we are striving to give industries what they want,\u201d he added. \n \n\n \n Speaking further on the issue, Prof Bawole urged industries to allow Universities send students as interns at their places of work so they can experiment with what they have learnt which then provide industries with the opportunity to mould the students in the area of their thinking and preparing them for the world of work before they graduate from the Universities. \n \n\n \n In 2007 - 2013, we at norvanreports can remember the issue of industrial internship for university graduates became important through a public debate which pointed out that, accelerated industrial growth is one of the priorities when worked on and looked at will help boost the welfare of her citizenry as well as economic development. This, therefore, required that tertiary education in Ghana provided graduates with job-relevant skills to meet the demands of industry and the economy as a whole. But the question was how can universities churn out graduates who will be ready for the job market when there was know properly monitored and graded internship programme which allows students their ability to learn while studying as well. \n \n\n \n We also know that, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP); The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI); the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE); and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) have in various national documents called for the need to build effective and strong linkages between tertiary education and industry. In fact the late Kojo Baah Wiredu the Finance Minister under the Kufour government in 2007\/2008 begun work with industry and the universities to come up with plan in that direction. \n \n\n \n On the backdrop of these expressed needs of policymakers coupled with the imperativeness of the subject matter, a study ( Tertiary Education and Industrial Development in Ghana ) was initiated, with its main thrust being the unravelling of the elements of mismatch between tertiary education and the needs of industry in Ghana and the factors underpinning the mismatches. \n \n\n \n The study was conducted in tertiary institutions and firms within the Greater Accra Region, Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), government agencies mandated to govern tertiary education delivery in Ghana and among graduates of tertiary institutions. \n \n\n \n Fundamentally, the mismatches uncovered included the insufficiency of certain skills in the labour market that are highly needed by firms: the ability of graduates to analyse data\/situations and propose solutions, leadership and innovation, technical skills, and graduates\u2019 ability to take responsibility of own actions and inactions; and the lack of employment opportunities in the labour market. \n \n\n \n The foundations of these mismatches were unearthed to include the following eight (8) subcomponents: inadequate tertiary education provisions vis-\u00e0-vis provisions in Ghana\u2019s industrial policy; ineffectiveness of institutions charged with oversight responsibility for ensuring quality in tertiary education; poor integration of relevant stakeholders; absence of a national development plan linked to tertiary education; inadequate funding; inadequate personnel\/ infrastructure at tertiary institutions; the shift in focus of some tertiary institutions; and industrial Challenges. \n \n\n \n The study further unraveled that the mismatches between tertiary education and skills need of firms have three major effects on the Ghanaian economy: labour market effect, productivity effect, and development effect. \n \n\n \n Based on these findings, the study recommended the need to develop a long-term national development plan and a comprehensive tertiary education policy situated within the long-term developmental objectives of the country; revamp the tertiary education governing bodies; enhance both vertical and horizontal integrations among stakeholders in the tertiary education sector; boost up funding for tertiary education; mainstream entrepreneurship course into all departments\u2019 programmes; promulgate a legal instrument to compel industries to open up for research; create a greater enabling environment for the private sector and industry to thrive, and create an integrated platform for dialogue on national provisions for tertiary education and the needs of the Ghanaian economy. \n \n\n \n On the above facts, we at norvanreports believe graduates from our universities will be able to fit in any sector they are employed, only if the business committee also provide spaces for internship for students through the universities as the good Professor has stated in his respones to the question of the university not producing students who are cut for the job market. \n \n\n \n GHANA\u2019S EDUCATION SYSTEM \n \n\n \n Ghana has been a pioneer in modern mass education in West Africa. First introduced in Christian missionary schools and colonial government schools, most notably in coastal areas during the period of formal British rule after 1867, modern European-style education was greatly expanded by Ghana\u2019s government after achieving independence in 1957. \n \n\n \n The introduction of free and compulsory basic education in 1961 was a veritable milestone achievement that greatly helped advance access to education, as was the founding of the first Ghanaian universities: the University of Ghana, originally established under British rule in 1948; and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) opened in 1952. Between 1960 and 1967 alone, the number of children enrolled in public elementary schools more than doubled . Estimated at less than 20 percent at the time of independence, Ghana\u2019s adult literacy rate shot up to 58 percent by 2000 . \n \n\n \n While still small in size, the tertiary education system also expanded tremendously over the past decades. The number of universities increased from just three in 1990 to 70 in 2014 , while the tertiary GER skyrocketed from less than 2 percent at the beginning of the 1970s to 16.5 percent in 2015. The total number of tertiary students increased from merely 16,161 in 1980 to 444,000 in 2017 (per UIS data). \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n Education is centrally administered by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Accra, which oversees several different agencies, including the Ghana Education Service ( GES ), responsible for the school system and pre-tertiary technical and vocational education and training ( TVET ), and the National Council for Tertiary Education ( NCTE ) in charge of higher education. Guidelines by the MOE and its agencies are implemented locally by government offices in Ghana\u2019s regions, as well as by districts offices. \n \n\n \n HIGHER EDUCATION \n \n\n \n Ghana\u2019s higher education sector has mushroomed in recent years. Tertiary enrollments doubled between 2009 and 2015 alone, jumping from 203,337 students to 417,534 students within just six years (UIS data). Like in other African countries, this expansion has been accompanied by a rapid growth of the private sector \u2013 the number of private HEIs increased from just two private universities in 1999 to 81 private universities and colleges today \n \n\n \n The types of higher education institutions in Ghana include 10 public universities, eight technical universities , and seven university-level professional training institutions. While the NAB defines universities as multi-faculty institutions dedicated to \u201cadvanced instruction and research in several branches of learning, conferring degrees in various faculties, and often embodying colleges, schools and similar institutions\u201d, technical universities and professional institutions are more narrowly specialized in particular disciplines. A number of larger public universities, such as the University of Energy and Natural Resources and the University of Education, Winneba, also have a more specialized focus. \n \n\n \n Ghana\u2019s Tertiary Grading Scale and Credit System \n \n\n \n Grading scales used by Ghanaian HEIs were traditionally patterned after the British classifications scheme, but almost all universities now use variations of U.S.-style 0-100 and A to F grading scales. The University of Ghana, for example, currently uses the undergraduate grading scale shown below. Under this scale, a minimum GPA of 1.0 is required for graduation in bachelor\u2019s programs. \n \n\n \n Universities usually use a course numbering system that labels undergraduate courses as 100, 200, 300 and 400-level courses, depending on the year of study (first year, second year and so on). Akin to the U.S. credit system, one fulltime academic year usually represents 30 to 36 credit units. \n \n\n \n \n \n\n \n \n "

"Place demand on Universities to get students \u2018fit\u2019 for the world of work \u2013 Dean of UGBS tells captains of Industries"

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