Ghana's Universities Offering 'Degrees to Nowhere', Says Ex-Education Minister

Programmes Misaligned with Job Market

Former Minister of Education Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has raised serious concerns about the relevance of several university programmes in Ghana, arguing that many graduates leave tertiary institutions without the skills employers actually need. Speaking on the Konnected Minds Podcast, he called for a comprehensive review of degree offerings, emphasising that unless higher education is deliberately aligned with Ghana's workforce requirements, graduate unemployment will continue to rise despite increased access to university education.

Dr Adutwum specifically criticised programmes such as Development Studies at the University for Development Studies and BA Education (Non-Teaching) at the University of Ghana, describing them as offering limited employment prospects. He recalled challenging universities on these offerings whilst serving as Education Minister, noting that one student withdrew from Development Studies at UDS following his remarks. "A university degree to nowhere," he said of the BA Education (Non-Teaching) programme, where graduates complete national service only to find no related job opportunities.

Labour Market Assessment Needed

The former minister argued that universities should base admissions and programme offerings on rigorous national labour market assessments rather than simply increasing enrolment for revenue. "If you don't have a labour needs assessment that you are following, then what it means is that you are just educating everyone," he said. He alleged that some institutions continue admitting students into weak programmes primarily because tuition fees generate revenue for the universities.

Dr Adutwum urged the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to take stronger regulatory action, ensuring academic programmes align with the country's workforce requirements and development priorities. He cited India's information technology sector as an example of how strategic educational planning produces graduates whose skills are in global demand.

Sectors Ready to Employ Graduates

According to Dr Adutwum, Ghana has multiple sectors capable of absorbing highly skilled graduates if universities tailor programmes to national priorities. "The police service needs them, the military needs them, and so many companies," he stated, adding that companies abroad would also employ such graduates. He emphasised that addressing graduate unemployment requires fundamental reform of the tertiary education system, with greater emphasis on employability, science, technology, engineering and market-driven disciplines rather than "education to nowhere."