Youth Face Tough Road Into Tech Amid Jobs Crisis and Freelancing Realities

By Lois Amanor

Unemployment remains one of Ghana’s biggest challenges, especially for young people hoping to break into the fast growing tech industry. While freelancing offers opportunities to work globally, experts say the path is far from easy.
Speaking on the Zed Tech Show on Zed 101.9 FM, Emelia Dede Quist, Employer Engagement Manager at Generation Ghana, painted a stark picture of the country’s labour market. She explained that Ghana’s population of 34 million includes about 27 million dependents, leaving only 7 million people carrying the economic burden.
“When you look at it that way, it’s scary,” she said. “The numbers show how few people are actually working compared to those relying on them.”
Quist broke down the statistics further. In a typical high school class of 40 students, only about five will enter tertiary education and graduate. Even then, the chances of finding a job quickly are slim. Data shows that only 10 percent of university graduates secure employment in their first year after national service.
With universities producing around 60,000 graduates annually, only 6,000 find jobs immediately. The remaining 54,000 may wait up to 10 years before securing employment. At the same time, about 360,000 students finish senior high school each year, but most do not progress into formal education or employment.
“This is a crisis,” Quist stressed. “The numbers are compounding year after year, and the gap keeps growing.”
For many young people, freelancing in the digital space has become an alternative. It allows them to work with clients across the world, often without needing formal employment. However, freelancing comes with its own challenges. Income can be unstable, client trust is not always guaranteed, and access to reliable internet remains a barrier for many.
Quist noted that while freelancing offers flexibility and global opportunities, it cannot fully absorb the growing number of unemployed youth. She argued that Ghana must create stronger pathways into tech jobs, combining education, skills training, and industry partnerships.
She also highlighted the importance of aligning education with market needs. “We are not working our way to the jobs,” she said. “We need to rethink how we prepare young people for the realities of the labour market.”
The conversation underscored the urgency of tackling unemployment while exploring new opportunities in the digital economy. For Ghana’s youth, breaking into tech may be a dream, but without systemic reforms, the journey will remain long and uncertain.