Poor planning cited for chaotic scenes at YEA job fair

Some labour analysts have agreed that the huge number of prospective job seekers that stormed the job fair organized by the Youth Employment Agency, YEA, which almost resulted in a stampede was expected.

They however shared varied opinions in their explanations on reasons why this year’s job fair has been hugely patronized.

First is Ben Arthur who attributes the huge turnout to the manner in which it was advertised. He is of the view that organizers did well with advertisement of the job fair which attracted thousands of unemployed youth to the Accra International Conference Center.

He said the huge skills mismatch being experienced in the Labour front is the reason companies are struggling to fill more than 3 thousand vacancies currently available, as alluded to by the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, NEIP.

“There are several areas where jobs have been advertised that we don’t get people to fill, and I am glad the government has taken the initiative already to do that, to match the skills that we are giving to young ones to opportunities that exist in our economies.

“Go to some of our Universities, they are full of social sciences and humanities. But a lot of the jobs coming out and challenging ones that have a lot of offers are coming from the vocational science area. This year’s job fair by the YEA was well advertised, it is as simple as that and that is why you saw huge numbers showing up.”

Mr. Arthur made some projections on the Labour front for the coming years.

“I have predicted that in the next 4 years the search for formal jobs will be at the highest proportion because all our free SHS will start coming out of University, and they will definitely be in search of formal jobs in offices,” he stated.

Another Labour Analyst, Seth Abloso, attributed the huge turnout to the build-up of desperation from long periods of unemployment. He said the near chaotic scenes at the job fair could have been avoided if the organizers had conducted a virtual fair.

”I think it is a desperate panic situation, that is what we saw at the Conference center for the job fair. That situation could have been avoided, if we had gone online with the fair. The huge numbers should have been expected,“ according to Labour Analyst, Seth Abloso.