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 Thousands of Ghanaians from across the country, particularly in the southern part, over the weekend, thronged the Ghana Trade Fair Center premises in Accra to secure jobs at Vodafone Ghana Limited.The recruitment exercise is contrary to public perception that Vodafone Ghana, which acquired 70 percent shares in Ghana Telecom in November last year, was laying off workers without employing others. Since it took over GT’s operations last year, Vodafone Ghana had so far employed several young and experienced workers.
Vodafone Ghana had earlier announced that it was embarking on the exercise to strengthen its operations; hence, its recruitment of some young graduates from the country’s tertiary institutions. Officials of Vodafone, who were accepting the documents of the graduates, were surprised at the large numbers at the center.
The graduates came from almost all the 10 polytechnics in the country and universities including the University of Ghana Legon, KNUST, University of Cape Coast, University of Development Studies, institute of Professional Studies, Central University College, Methodist University college and Catholic University college, among others. Interestingly, the applicants who pursued various programmes such as Engineering, Social Sciences and Arts, Business Administration and Social Studies, were anxious to secure jobs with Vodafone, which is the biggest telecommunication company in the world.
Charles Owusu, a 2008 agricultural engineering graduate of the KNUST told City & Business Guide that he wanted to grab the opportunity to land a job with Vodafone. “I don’t want to join my colleagues who are already at home,” he added. Sylvia Amoah, a marketing graduate from the Takoradi Polytechnic, who shared similar sentiments noted that “getting a job now is very difficult, hence her rush to apply for job at Vodafone Ghana.”
The Officials of Vodafone failed to comment on the number of applicants they had recruited at the center but “hinted that they would recruit the best applicants.”
The freeze in public sector employment by government due to International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank prescriptions, coupled with the global financial crisis had to some extent impacted negatively on the Ghanaian economy, affecting operations of some firms and fresh graduates.
The current situation could become worse, if government does not implement employment programmes such as the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) and create the enabling environment for investors to operate in the country. Presently, graduate employment is about 19 percent and could even rise further.
Source: City & Business Guide
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