We train for hard work, not for innovation – Skills Development expert

A Skills Development expert has decried the quality of skills training in the country.

M Harry Yamson expressed concern over the failure of Ghana’s skills development programmes to develop the competence of innovation in Ghana’s workforce.

“We train for… hard work, but we don’t train for innovation. We don’t train for students to come out with the skills that allow them to borrow and put together ideas across different sectors to create new sorts of business and new types of wealth for this country”, he postulated in a conversation with Super Morning Show host, Kojo Yankson.

Citing the example of the fast-food Industry, M Harry Yamson observed that Ghanaians have failed to evolve their local cuisine into global products but have rather embraced the cuisine of other countries.

“Fast food for us is still sitting on a bench by the roadside, and eating your kenkey and fish, or your Waakye. But think about fast food when we step out of Ghana.

“It is clean; it is healthy, it is increasingly very nutritious, it is in a pleasant environment, it is fast, he conveyor system actually works in those restaurants.

“We don’t have that… because we still look at individual skill, and we don’t understand how to integrate all those skills to create innovative businesses that can actually create wealth for us as a country”.

The issue of Skills Development became topical after Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta announced that government would fast-track a $200million Skills Development Programme to address issues of unemployment raised by Ghanaians as part of the #FixTheCountry social media movement.