Densu Associates, a social change and development management consultancy, has partnered with social-mission-driven organizations to accelerate social impact in Africa, North America, and Ghana through the ‘Ghana Grows Programme.'
This three-year initiative, supported by the Mastercard Foundation and led by the Springboard7 Road Show Foundation (SRSF), aims to transform young people's perceptions of agriculture (Ag), agricultural technical, and vocational education and training (ATVET), and Ag-adjacent sectors, encouraging them to consider these areas as viable and fulfilling work opportunities.
The ‘Ghana Grows Programme' seeks to empower one million next-generation youth to view the Ag/ATVET sectors as attractive employment options.
As part of the program, Densu Associates conducted a survey to evaluate the Knowledge, Attitude, and Perception (KAP) of young people across Ghana, with a particular focus on women, youth, and individuals with disabilities.
The findings were discussed at a validation workshop involving key stakeholders, including young people.
The study, which involved over 1,100 randomly selected young people aged 15-35 from all 16 regions of Ghana, revealed that 46% of the surveyed youth were unemployed, with 36% holding tertiary degrees.
While the young people had commendable knowledge of the Ag/ATVET sector, the study found that their overall perception of the sector was quite low.
However, their attitudes toward the sector were positive, with over 91% expressing a willingness to work in the sector if they had the necessary skills and training.
The survey also indicated that young people desired policy dialogues and believed that the sector could lead to success.
However, there were concerns regarding limited support for women and individuals with disabilities in the sector.
Young people had mixed views on whether jobs in the sector were limited.
The findings emphasized the need to improve the sector's perception, especially among young women and individuals with disabilities, and highlighted the requirement for a more extensive ecosystem of external support.
Densu Associates, an organization founded and led by Africans, aims to drive social and economic change across Africa and North America through deep understanding, skill, and cultivating client relationships.
