Accra: The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment (MLJE), in collaboration with the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), is set to conduct a nationwide Qualification and Skills Mismatches Survey (QSMS) among Ghanaian workers in June. This initiative aims to assess the extent of mismatch between workers’ qualifications and their job requirements, thereby informing policy decisions.
According to Ghana News Agency, the QSMS will be the first nationally representative survey focused on collecting comprehensive data on qualifications and skills mismatches within Ghana’s labour market. This data is expected to guide policy direction and enhance workforce productivity. Qualification mismatches occur when workers’ qualifications do not align with the education level or field required for their current roles, which can include over-education, under-education, or discrepancies in the field of study.
Mr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, the Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, announced the survey during a stakeholder engagement in Accra, which brought together labour and employment sector experts. The experts discussed findings from a pilot survey and outlined plans for the national rollout. Mr Pelpuo highlighted that the absence of reliable data on qualification and skills mismatches posed challenges to national development efforts, particularly affecting educational planning and labour productivity.
He emphasized the importance of the survey, stating, “This survey is timely and crucial,” and noted that the primary goal for school-goers is to secure employment that matches their qualifications or skills. The data from this survey will aid in aligning education and skills training with the demands of the labour market and industry.
Mr Shadrack Mensah, Director of Research at GSS, noted that the Service has begun recruiting enumerators through its online portal and will soon initiate training and orientation sessions. “We are currently mobilising enumerators and preparing them for the field. They will be taken through a detailed manual to ensure consistency and quality in data collection,” he stated.
The Ministry and the GSS expressed optimism about the critical insights that the QSMS will provide, which are expected to inform policies aligning educational outputs with labour market demands, ultimately boosting employment outcomes and economic development.