Dr Eric Kofi Adzroe, Director-General of the Ghana TVET Service, has called for stronger collaboration between the Government and the Church to promote technical and vocational education as a sustainable solution to unemployment, indiscipline and economic dependency.
He said although the Government had a responsibility to create an enabling environment for people to establish and grow businesses, it could not employ everyone, making skills acquisition critical to creating sustainable livelihoods.
Dr Adzroe made the call when he addressed the 12th General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (EPCG), in Ho on Thursday.
He expressed concern over the large number of young people who completed various levels of education but remained outside the formal employment and education systems, describing the situation as a potential “time bomb” that required urgent attention.
He said the country must shift its focus from relying solely on government employment to equipping young people with practical skills that would enable them to establish their own businesses and contribute meaningfully to the economy.
According to him, skills development was the surest way to reduce unemployment and build economic independence, stressing that “the only way we can sustain economic independence and stem unemployment is through the acquisition of skills.”
Dr. Adzroe also challenged the Church to reclaim its historic role in education and discipline, particularly through the establishment and management of educational institutions.
He noted that mission schools had historically been respected for their emphasis on discipline and character formation and urged the Church to strengthen its partnership with the Government to address growing concerns over indiscipline in society.
He linked challenges such as corruption, environmental degradation and indiscipline on the roads to weaknesses in character formation, saying education must go beyond academic knowledge to include the training of disciplined minds and responsible citizens.
“When you talk about cleanliness and the mind is not disciplined, you are not talking about anything,” he said, stressing that a clean environment requires responsible citizens who understand their obligations to society.
The Director-General said the Church could play an important role by supporting government policies aimed at strengthening skills development, improving learning environments and creating opportunities for young people.
He cited ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Education to improve technical and vocational education and called for increased investment in TVET infrastructure and training.
Dr Adzroe said Ghana could draw lessons from developed countries where technical and vocational skills had played a major role in industrialisation, job creation and economic transformation.
He therefore urged stakeholders, particularly religious institutions, to engage the Government constructively in finding practical solutions to unemployment, indiscipline and other socio-economic challenges.
He said the EPCG General Assembly provided an appropriate platform for such discussions and called for a renewed partnership between the Church and Government to train both the minds and hands of young Ghanaians for productive employment and entrepreneurship.