Mr. David Douglas Tengey, Executive Director of the David Douglas Leadership Forum (DDLF), has encouraged students in senior high schools and universities to have an entrepreneurial mindset to avoid unemployment.
He said it was essential for students to have a change of mindset, attitude and be prepared to take initiative and risks, adding that students must not rely solely on what they were being taught in school.
They must study courses such as engineering, interior design, fashion, architecture and carpentry to develop personal skills to set up their own businesses.
He made the call at the 6th edition of the David Douglas Lead Yourself Conference in Achimota Senior High School, Accra.
Mr Tengey said the solution for unemployment was to teach and groom students to make use of knowledge acquired from their field of study, together with their skills to set up businesses for self-sustainability.
He advised students to desist from having the mindset of gaining a white-color-job after graduating, but rather prepare to be innovative to set up their own business.
He said students must identify their strengths, talents and skills to overcome their challenges, adding that, students must imagine new innovative businesses to be self-employed.
However, he advised parents to know their children’s capabilities and weaknesses to guide them in their course of study in senior high schools.
He added that “the moral up-bring of a child depends on the parents, teacher and the student themselves.”
He appealed to government to incorporate entrepreneurship in the national curriculum for senior high schools to curtail unemployment.
He advised students to leverage on this Forum and improve upon their capabilities.
Reverend Dr. Edward Agyekum Kuffuor, Patron of the David Douglas Leadership Forum, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said students must aspire to achieve their goals and build upon them to help in economic development.
He urged students to demonstrate their capacity and think outside the box, adding that government must help provide funding for students with entrepreneurial opportunities.
Dr Kuffuor said students must listen to their leaders and learn from them, nonetheless, he encouraged them to use social media positively to develop a market audience.
“Students must be honest in doing businesses, be truthful, smart and work with integrity. Students must portray the act of kindness and tolerance in the entrepreneurial world,” he said.
He advised students not to solely involve friends and families in their businesses.
The DDLF aims to empower young people to strive and become ethical leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators and agents of change in Ghana.
The event had six senior high schools with over thousand students attending and was on the theme: “Lead Yourself”.
The conference was to conscientise students about how to be successful leaders and entrepreneurs for economic growth.