Graduate unemployment has been a longstanding phenomenon in Ghana. According to the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), there are over 200,000 unemployed graduates in Ghana and by the end of this year this figure is expected to grow by 71,000 when students from various tertiary institutions graduate and enter the job market.
As economies have boomed and the demand for formal education has increased, countries across the world have had to deal with the issue of graduate unemployment and its attendant challenges. Ghana is no different and continues to grapple with high levels of graduate unemployment despite various government interventions.
Initiatives such as the Youth Entrepreneurial Agency (YEA), the Microfinance and Small-scale Loans Centre (MASLOC) and the Integrated Community Centers for Employable Skills (ICCES) are all examples of government solutions implemented to close the gap between the haves and have-nots when it comes to jobs for the youth.
Unfortunately, the gap has remained wide despite strides in the right direction. This has given prime opportunities for online resources, such as Tonaton.com to step in and provide a platform to connect unemployed graduates with listings for entry level jobs.
Finding jobs online with a single click of a button is a far more desirable option for many graduates than the more traditional method of dropping countless CVs and cover letters at offices across the country.
The savings in transportation alone is a potent motivator for young graduates, many of whom are already comfortable with online activity via Facebook, Whatsapp and Google, to name a few.
With over 3,400 new jobs listed every month, Tonaton.com’s jobs category recorded over 12,500 job seekers in August 2015 at a ratio of three job seekers to one job listing.
The site currently offers over 8,000 jobs across both white collar and blue collar employment. With enhanced features embedded on the site, job seekers can conveniently narrow their online searches to specific locations, industries or job types.
The digital alternative that classifieds websites like Tonaton.com offer is a compelling and practical solution to young graduates looking to find jobs after school.
This generation of graduates are responding more assertively to Ghana’s deepening internet penetration, internet services and digital devices such as mobile applications are now part of their lifestyles.
Tonaton.com and others like it, therefore, have their work cut out for them. They have given new meaning to the digital age and new hope to those who are most invested in it.
Their challenge now lies in how quickly they can drive recruiters and employers to embrace online job searching trends and leverage online platforms such as Tonaton.com to place jobs that young graduates can easily access as they navigate their way to a meaningful career path.
