With youth unemployment at 13% in Ghana, green skills training offers a path to both livelihoods and environmental restoration. We examine the evidence and share stories from our programmes.
Ghana has one of the youngest populations in the world. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, over 57% of the population is under the age of 25, and approximately 13% of young people aged 15-24 are unemployed, with a further 20% underemployed (Ghana Statistical Service, 2023). The International Labour Organization estimates that Ghana needs to create approximately 300,000 new jobs annually just to absorb new entrants into the labour market (ILO, 2023).
At the same time, Ghana faces mounting environmental challenges: deforestation, plastic pollution, water contamination, and the impacts of climate change on agriculture. These two crises, youth unemployment and environmental degradation, may seem unrelated. But they share a common solution: green skills.
What Are Green Skills?
The United Nations Environment Programme defines green skills as "the knowledge, abilities, values, and attitudes needed to live in, develop, and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society" (UNEP, 2023). In the Ghanaian context, this includes practical skills like sustainable agriculture, organic composting, beekeeping, recycling and upcycling, solar panel installation, and green entrepreneurship.
The global green economy is growing rapidly. The International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that the renewable energy sector alone employed 13.7 million people worldwide in 2022, with Africa's green workforce growing at 6% annually (IRENA, 2023). In Ghana, the transition to a green economy is still in its early stages, but the potential is enormous. A study by the African Development Bank found that investing in green skills training in Ghana could create over 1.4 million green jobs by 2030 (AfDB, 2022).
The Evidence That Green Skills Work
Research from across Africa shows that green skills training is not just environmentally beneficial but economically effective. A study by the Mastercard Foundation tracked 2,500 young people who completed green skills programmes in Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda and found that 68% were employed or self-employed within 12 months, compared to a 42% employment rate for youth who did not receive such training (Mastercard Foundation, 2023). The average income of programme graduates was 35% higher than their peers.
The key to success is practicality. Programmes that combine classroom learning with hands-on apprenticeships, mentorship, and access to startup capital show the best results. A report by the World Bank's Ghana Jobs and Skills Project found that practical training programmes in sustainable agriculture and waste management achieved employment rates of 75% or higher among graduates, compared to 40% for theory-only programmes (World Bank, 2023).
How GAIN's Green Skills Programme Works
GAIN's skills development programme is built on three pillars:
1. Practical Training
We offer hands-on workshops in sustainable agriculture (including organic farming, composting, and urban gardening), recycling crafts (turning plastic waste into sellable products), beekeeping and honey production, and basic green entrepreneurship. Each workshop runs for 2-4 weeks and combines classroom sessions with practical work at our demonstration sites.
2. Mentorship and Networks
Every graduate is paired with a mentor, an experienced practitioner in their chosen field who provides guidance, connects them to markets, and helps them navigate challenges. We also facilitate peer networks where graduates can share experiences, collaborate on projects, and access group purchasing power for materials and tools.
3. Seed Grants and Market Access
For graduates who develop viable business plans, we offer small seed grants of 500-2,000 Ghanaian cedis to help them start their green businesses. We also connect them to markets through partnerships with local businesses, farmers' markets, and online platforms.
Since launching the programme in 2024, we have trained over 350 young people. Of those who completed the programme at least six months ago, 71% are now employed or running their own green businesses.
Stories from the Programme
Akosua, a 24-year-old from Tema, was unemployed for two years before joining our recycling crafts workshop. She learned to turn plastic water sachets into durable shopping bags and accessories. With a seed grant of 1,000 cedis, she started her own business and now employs two other young people. She sells her products at markets in Accra and through a partnership with a local eco-friendly retail store.
Yaw, a 28-year-old from Kumasi, completed our sustainable agriculture training and now runs a small organic vegetable farm that supplies three local restaurants. He uses composting techniques learned in the programme and has reduced his input costs by 40% compared to conventional farming.
The Way Forward
Ghana's youth are not a problem to be solved. They are the solution to our environmental challenges. By investing in green skills, we are not just creating jobs. We are building a generation of environmental stewards who will shape Ghana's future for decades to come.
But we cannot do this alone. We need partners: businesses to provide market access, government to align training with national environmental goals, and donors to fund the seed grants that turn training into livelihoods. If you share this vision, reach out to us. Together, we can turn Ghana's youth dividend into an environmental dividend.
References:
- African Development Bank (AfDB). (2022). Green Jobs and Skills Development in Africa. Abidjan: AfDB.
- Ghana Statistical Service. (2023). Ghana 2021 Population and Housing Census: Labour Force Report. Accra: GSS.
- International Labour Organization (ILO). (2023). Ghana Decent Work Country Programme 2023-2027. Geneva: ILO.
- International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2023). Renewable Energy and Jobs: Annual Review 2023. Abu Dhabi: IRENA.
- Mastercard Foundation. (2023). Green Skills Training Outcomes in Africa: A Three-Country Study. Toronto: Mastercard Foundation.
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2023). Green Skills for a Sustainable Future. Nairobi: UNEP.
- World Bank. (2023). Ghana Jobs and Skills Project: Mid-Term Evaluation Report. Washington, DC: World Bank.
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