Former President John Agyekum Kufuor is calling for increased support for the private sector as a critical step toward addressing Ghana’s unemployment challenges.

Speaking at the Design and Technology Inaugural Legacy Dialogue Series on Entrepreneurship and the Future of Work, the former President stressed the need for deliberate policies and sustained investment to empower businesses to grow and create jobs.

“If we are serious about tackling unemployment, then we must be serious about supporting the private sector. That is where the jobs will come from,” he stated.

According to him, the private sector remains the engine of economic expansion and must be adequately supported to absorb the growing number of young people entering the labour market each year.

“Government alone cannot employ all our young people. We need a vibrant private sector that is encouraged and enabled to expand,” he added.

The event, organised by the Design and Technology Institute, brought together policymakers, industry players, and young entrepreneurs to discuss strategies for preparing the workforce for the future.

Mr. Kufuor emphasised the importance of skills development, particularly in entrepreneurship and technical training, as a means of equipping the youth with the tools needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving global economy.

“We must equip our youth not just to seek jobs, but to create them. Skills, innovation and entrepreneurship are key to the future of work,” he noted.

He further underscored the need for stronger collaboration between government, academia, and industry to ensure that training programmes are aligned with market demands.

“There must be a stronger partnership between industry and our training institutions so that what is taught reflects the needs of the market,” he said.

The dialogue forms part of efforts to promote forward-looking conversations on job creation, innovation, and sustainable economic growth in Ghana.