The Linguist

Growing up, all I heard parents and guardians say to their children or wards is “grow up to become a Doctor, Lawyer or Engineer or work in a big firm as a Manager”. Because of this,  most young graduates go through our educational system hoping to get employed in a white-collar job. Blue-collar jobs (manufacturing, textile and printing, farming, landscaping, pest control, food processing, waste disposal, electrical, plumbing, construction, mechanic, technical installation, etc) are assumed to be for those with low academic prowess. 

As a research and business developer, I have had the chance to interact with a lot of young entrepreneurs and anytime you ask these young entrepreneurs what informed their decision to start their business; most of them say “I was broke” or “I wanted to start something whilst I  search for a job”.

I become heartbroken anytime I take my car to the mechanic or call a handyman to fix my electrical, carpentry, masonry or plumbing related problems. This is because most (not all) of these artisans lack the requisite knowledge to improvise when the problem they have to solve becomes complex. Meanwhile, most of these artisans averagely make over 2000gh cedis a month with the haphazard services they sometimes provide. 

Sometimes, I see posts on facebook talking about a graduate who is a mechanic or food vendor or tailor or seamstress and I keep asking one question; ‘and so what?’. 

Apart from the knowledge you acquire through your chosen programme of study, the University educational structure is designed to give you general knowledge which can help you in all your endeavours in life. There are so many advantages a young graduate who decides to go into a blue-collar job has over a non-graduate. Some of these advantages include;

1. You have immediate customers (your mates) who can afford to buy your products.
2. You have computer skills that can greatly help you market your products.
3. You have good communications skills to better transact business with both the local and international consumers.

Gone are the days when most entrepreneurs were poor because the whole economy was not integrated. In recent times, with the advent of the internet and social media, the whole world is integrated (Global Village).  In view of this, it is easy to make your products known to the general public.

So what are you waiting for Mister and Madam young unemployed graduate? Please learn a skill or trade today and you will not regret tomorrow as you may end up being a C.E.O of a Handyman Company.

By: K.S. Kuffour (Research and Business Developer)