According to the new ALU 2025 Africa Workforce Readiness Survey, published by the African Leadership University, nearly all school leavers (99%) in Ghana are considering pursuing higher education in the future.
Of those, however, only 40% plan to do so in Africa – the lowest of any country polled. Equally alarming is that many will remain abroad, with only 27% of all Ghanaian school leavers surveyed planning to stay in Africa after completing their education – the lowest percentage after Côte d’Ivoire (19%).
These new findings are among those published today by the African Leadership University (ALU), a higher education institution that this year celebrates its tenth anniversary and is dedicated to equipping graduates with the skills and vision needed to succeed as ethical entrepreneurs.
They were gathered through surveys conducted by the Economic Policy Group of more nearly 8,000 employers and school leavers across nine countries in Africa, including 367 employers and 483 school leavers from Ghana.
The students surveyed were aged 15-22 and in their final year of study, while the employers were engaged in a range of Small or Medium Enterprises (SMEs), large enterprises, and multinational companies and held a mixture of entry-level, middle management, and senior leadership roles.
This first-of-its-kind research covers school leavers and employers’ views across Africa of higher education, skills and careers, the future economy, and the workplace in the age of AI.
Veda Sunassee, CEO of ALU, said: “I am proud to present the ALU 2025 Africa Workforce Readiness Survey, the first of its kind to explore the aspirations of young Africans and the expectations of employers for graduates.
“This is a pivotal moment for Africa. This survey clearly shows that to unlock the immense potential of young Africans, higher education must focus on leadership, problem-solving, and building strong links with the business world. By bridging the gap between education and workforce demands, we can empower Africa’s next generation of leaders to drive meaningful change and shape the continent’s future.”
While 67% of Ghanaian employers believe that higher education institutions are preparing graduates well for the job market, one-third (33%) remain unconvinced about the success of their services.
The majority (71%) think institutions should focus more on developing students’ leadership skills to better prepare them for the workforce. Almost half also think training in technical skills (49%) and offering mentorship and guest-visitors (44%) would increase employment value among graduates.
82% of employers surveyed in Ghana say that they are more likely to hire a graduate with practical work experience. The skills they most look for in their organization, according to the survey, are analytical thinking (44%) and communication skills (44%). At the same time, entrepreneurial skills are the most lacking among graduates who have recently joined their business, according to 13% of those surveyed.
More than two-thirds (67%) of employers in Ghana also agree it is most important that their employees care about solving one of the world’s biggest challenges (such as climate change, gender equality, food insecurity, and conservation).
The survey also shines a light on what motivates school leavers’ education choices. Ghanaian school leavers who plan on pursuing higher education ranked the ability to gain work experience as their highest priority when choosing which college or university to apply to, as stated by 62%, while 34% say their main reason for continuing their education is to gain the skills needed to pursue their passion. Additionally, the most popular choices of career sector among Ghanaian school leavers are engineering (20%), banking and financial services (20%), and technology and software (12%).
Economic outlook
Ghanaian employers have concerns about the ‘brain drain’ (the migration of talent to countries outside Africa), with the overwhelming majority (78%) believing it represents a significant issue for the continent’s future.
This could partly explain why only 38% of employers agree somewhat or strongly that they have confidence in the next generation of graduates’ ability to help grow their business – the third lowest of any country polled after South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire (both 35%).
According to the survey, just 41% of employers in Ghana feel optimistic about the future of the African economy – the third lowest country polled after Côte d’Ivoire (36%) and South Africa (21%).
Though Ghanaian school leavers are slightly more optimistic, with 56% agreeing that they feel optimistic, this is the second lowest result after South Africa (40%). More than half (53%) say that their greatest concern with finding employment after completing their education is that there aren’t enough jobs. Their next largest concern is having a lack of adequate work experience (32%).
Artificial intelligence
48% of school leavers surveyed in Ghana agree that artificial intelligence (AI) is an opportunity for their career – the fourth lowest of any country polled after Rwanda (41%), Côte d’Ivoire (40%), and South Africa (36%). 35% fear it will negatively impact their future job prospects.
Similarly, 56% of employers agree that AI is an opportunity for their business, the fourth lowest after Rwanda (41%), Côte d’Ivoire (29%), and South Africa (6%). 61% of employers worry that AI will lead to fewer job opportunities, and 56% think that workers will need to be reskilled many times during their careers.
Key recommendations for higher education institutions
Based on the survey’s findings, ALU has put forward the following core recommendations for higher education institutions:
· Respond to employer needs: Universities should prioritize teaching soft skills and technical abilities.
· Align curriculum with career aspirations: Universities should expand academic offerings and career-focused experiences.
· Enhance work-based learning opportunities: Employers and institutions should partner to offer more opportunities for hands-on work experience.
· Foster public-private collaboration: Universities should work with public and private sectors to fund new programmes and infrastructure.
· Assess progress: Universities must monitor their progress in closing the higher education skills gap.