The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority, Osman Abdulai Ayariga, has urged young people in Ghana to broaden their outlook on employment by prioritising skills development and vocational training alongside white-collar job opportunities.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, June 18, Ayariga said the labour market presents a wide range of opportunities beyond office-based careers, and encouraged young people to rethink their approach to job seeking.
He observed that several young people have successfully built sustainable livelihoods through skilled trades such as carpentry and other hands-on professions, noting that such pathways can be just as rewarding as formal employment.
“I think most importantly, we also need to have a rethink about employment as young people. We need to go beyond the white-collar job and look at other avenues,” he said.
According to him, the strong preference for office jobs, often associated with suits, ties and corporate environments, is limiting the potential of many young graduates who could thrive in vocational and entrepreneurial ventures.
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“Trust me, I have seen young people who have come out of school and have decided to be carpenters, and they’re doing very well,” he stated.
Ayariga further stressed that no single sector can absorb all job seekers, urging young people to appreciate the value of diverse career paths and opportunities.
“I believe that most young people should try as much as possible to move from the white-collar job where everybody wants to put on the coat and tie and suit and go to the office,” he noted.
He encouraged young people to embrace practical work and skills acquisition as a means of creating sustainable livelihoods.
“Let’s get our hands on and get jobs being done. To many young people, my advice to you out there is that we all cannot become bank managers, we all cannot become lawyers, we all cannot become doctors, but there’s enough space for everyone irrespective of the job you want to do.”he added.
