Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer at the World Bank Group, has cautioned Ghana and other developing nations to urgently adopt policies and programmes that will help absorb the growing number of young people entering the labour market each year.

According to him, countries across the developing world are on the verge of a major employment challenge as millions of young people prepare to join the workforce within the next decade.

Without deliberate investment in education, training, and skills development, he warned, many of these young people could struggle to find meaningful employment.

Paschal Donohoe therefore urged governments, policymakers, and educational institutions in developing countries to prioritise equipping young people with practical and employable skills that match the demands of the modern labour market.

He stressed that strengthening education systems and expanding opportunities for technical and vocational training will be crucial in addressing youth unemployment.

“Let me begin with the global picture because what you are navigating here in Ghana is not a national or local challenge. It is global in scale. Across low and middle income countries today, seven in 10, 10 year olds in low and middle income countries cannot read a simple age-appropriate text.

“In those countries, more than 3 billion adults have less than a lower secondary education. And in the next decade alone, 1.2 billion young people will enter labour markets in developing countries, most of them without the skills. These are not just numbers. They are lives.”

The World Bank chief made these remarks while addressing students at the University of Ghana during a visit aimed at engaging young people on global economic trends, education, and the future of work.

His interaction with the students formed part of a broader discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing developing economies in a rapidly changing global environment.

Donohoe explained that the employment challenges facing young people are not unique to Ghana but rather part of a wider global trend affecting many low and middle-income countries.