The King of the Asante Kingdom and Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in a passionate appeal has called on products of the University to make entrepreneurship their priority in the quest to get themselves gainfully employed.
Painting a true colour of the country’s job market during the climax of the KNUST’s 57th Congregation on March 23, 2024, the noble Monarch classified entrepreneurship as a game changer.
“As you prepare to embark on a journey in the world of work for some of you and seek better job prospects, I urge you to embrace entrepreneurship as the game changer in the 21st century.”
He asserted, “The public sector alone cannot accommodate the increasing number of graduates entering the workforce every year.”
This, he said, can only be salvaged if the country develops job creators through the prioritization of entrepreneurship among graduates.
Consequently, he entreated them to explore the diverse opportunities in the economy tailored specifically to support graduates with innovative ideas in pursuing such dreams.
Adding her voice to the appeal, the Vice Chancellor of the KNUST, Prof Rita Akosua Dickson called on the graduands to uphold the counsel of the King so as to insulate themselves from the associations of the unemployed in the country.
“We don’t want you joining those associations,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, directed the students to patronize a grant initiative instituted by the Ministry of Education for young entrepreneurs.
“I’m happy to announce that the Ministry of Education has established the Ghana Skill Development Fund. We give away free money, that is, grants to individuals who are setting up businesses. Go to the website of the Ghana Commission for TVET and apply for free money to develop your business. That is our commitment to you.”
The 57th Congregation began on Mach 21 and saw the graduation of 5,394 students in various programmes out of which 2,418 were undergraduates and 2,976 postgraduates.
The event on Saturday saw 880 postgraduate students- 91 PhD students and 789 MPhil students- of the institution bagging degrees in various fields.
Present at the event were the Chairman of the University Council, Justice Anin Yeboah, Pro Vice Chancellor, Prof Ellis Owusu-Dabo and traditional authorities.
Source: Manhyia Palace
