Professor Emeritus Stephen Adei has advised young graduates to be humble and not be selective in the kind of work they will do.
Speaking on the July 24 edition of the Springboard Virtual University show on Joy FM with Albert Ocran, Professor Adei lamented the Ghanaian culture where graduates perceived that some jobs are below them.
According to him, some jobs which may not look ‘attractive’ gave greater financial remuneration than white-collar jobs graduates will prefer.
He emphasized that the was a need for a shift in attitude adding that both unemployed people and graduates must abandon such misconceptions.
“[unemployed people] must learn first and foremost to be humble, take responsibility. In the humility side also, there are certain jobs people think it is below them.
“It’s part of our culturation. When you go to America, the average garbage collector is a graduate. Some with a postgraduate degree. They pay them well also. And they make a difference.
“For example, I don’t think they are that rich [but] I remember one day when I was in the UN…I like Kofi broke man [roasted plantain]…so when I come and I don’t get it anywhere else, I go to the airport…that road…Mensvic Hotel…they always have plantain.
“I will go and sit down with them [roasted plantain sellers] and I buy it and eat it there and I chat with them. I tell them ‘can you make GH₵10 a day?’ And at that time, that was huge profit and they said ‘yes’. I tell them they are on their way to becoming millionaires if you know how to invest it and I was trying to educate them.
“The average Ghanaian will not want to sell plantain. I’m sure those people selling plantain make at least GH¢2,000 a month and yet they [graduates] are looking for GH¢600 job. So there’s a need for a change and we must help the young people,” Professor Adei said.