Head of Department for Organisation and Human Resource Management at the University of Ghana, Prof. Kwasi Amponsah-Tawiah, has hinted Ghana can reduce the rate of unemployment by capitalising on research and development.

According to him, the country through this will be adding value to the products that are exported in their raw state and in the value chain.

He said by so doing, employments can be created in the country.

“I have indicated in a couple of research that well, the way to in-deed, curb this unemployment problem that we have in our country is through research and development,” he explained.

The Minister-designate for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour-Awuah during vetting indicated that 3 million jobs were created under Akufo-Addo’s first term, but, was unable to provide a detailed breakdown of the assertion to the house.

Speaking on PM: Express Wednesday on whether or not the claim was visible, Mr Amponsah-Tawiah noted that data for unemployment is mostly mixed with under-employment, “and that is what actually confuses the data.”

He observed that it is mostly reckoned that the government, through its initiatives under the National Youth Employment Agency, Trade and NABCO, among others “indeed has added to the employment figures.”

But Prof. Amponsah-Tawiah questioned: “but well, would we consider these to be real employments or just under-employment.”

He said the capacity that the individuals have, and what they can do and what they do currently,” throws into that question, “whether we talking about people being under-employed or being unemployed.”

“If u look at the nature of the employment that has been created, one would question whether these are real employment figure or if you look at,” he stressed.

“We should be moving on into creating real jobs. Let us look at cocoa, let us look at timber, let us look at our diamond, let us look at our gold, and let us look at the oil palm.

Prof. Amponsah-Tawiah insisted that “If you look at almost all of these things within the value chain, if we are adding value to all of these things, we are bound to create some more, real employments in this regard.”

“So for me, I am thinking that yes, the government is doing well by keeping the youth active by creating some opportunities for the youth to get engaged but then we should be moving towards creating real employment where the individuals will find themselves utilising their skills, knowledge and ability productive in areas that will help transform to the economy,” he stressed.