UGBS Hosts Strategic Employer Roundtable to Shape Inaugural "Ghana Job Skills Report 2026"
The University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) has taken a decisive step towards bridging the gap between academia and industry by convening its inaugural Employer Roundtable on Future Skills Needs. Held under the theme "Shaping the Ghana Job Skills Report 2026," the event brought together senior executives from Ghana’s leading financial, technical, and consulting firms to co-create a roadmap for the future workforce.
The roundtable serves as a critical data-gathering milestone for the upcoming Ghana Job Skills Report 2026, a pioneering national publication scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2026.
Leadership Vision: Bridging the Gap
The tone for the event was set by Prof. Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu, Industry Liaison Associate of the UGBS Grantsmanship and Skills Development Unit (UGSDU) and Head of the Department of Accounting. In his welcome remarks, Prof. Owusu acknowledged UGBS’s market dominance—noting that products of the school constitute significant portions of the workforce in top firms like Ernst & Young—but cautioned against complacency.
Prof. Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu, Industry Liaison Associate, UGBS Grantsmanship and Skills Development Unit
"We are not oblivious to the fact that over the years there have been huge concerns about the quality of graduates," Prof. Owusu stated. He explained that the roundtable aimed to foster substantive dialogue on how universities might improve their teaching approaches and align skills development with employer expectations.
Opening the event, the Dean of UGBS, Prof. Ernest Tweneboah-Koduah, articulated a bold vision for his tenure: ensuring that every UGBS graduate is "market-ready" from day one. He highlighted that the establishment of the UGSDU in August 2025 was a direct response to this challenge.
Prof. Ernest Tweneboah-Koduah, Dean, University of Ghana Business School
"We are here today not to talk, but to listen," the Dean told the gathering of industry captains. "The world of work is evolving rapidly, and academia cannot effectively prepare the next generation of talent in isolation. This dialogue is the bridge that connects our lecture halls to your boardrooms."
From Intuition to Evidence: The Genesis of the Report
Prof. Richard Boateng, the Team Lead for the UGSDU, revealed that the report was not conceived in a vacuum but was born out of deep-seated research engagements regarding the challenges facing the African workforce.
Prof. Boateng explained that the concept was informed by his previous high-level interactions with the ECOWAS Youth Development Centre, which focused on the malaise plaguing Ghanaian youth, and his work with GiZ Ghana on the eSkills4Girls initiative and digital needs assessments for women. These experiences highlighted a critical disconnect in the national policy discourse—a reliance on anecdotes rather than data.
"We often hear the phrase 'skills gap' tossed around in boardrooms and policy meetings. We hear that graduates are 'not ready.' But as a research-intensive institution, we must ask: Ready for what, specifically?̋ Prof. Boateng argued. "Is it Python skills or presentation skills? Is it a lack of emotional intelligence or a lack of data literacy? For too long, our understanding of this gap has been anecdotal. The core objective of this report is to replace intuition with empirical evidence."
Prof. Richard Boateng, Team Lead, UGBS Grantsmanship and Skills Development Unit
He outlined the report’s unique "Dual-Lens" methodology, which compares employer forecasts against student self-assessments to identify the "Reality Gap," thereby benefiting:
Employers: By influencing curriculum to produce relevant talent.
Students & Job Seekers: By providing a clear roadmap of the skills required to remain competitive in the 2026 job market.
Industry Insights: The Data Literacy Imperative
The roundtable featured spirited contributions from representatives of GCB Bank, CalBank PLC, Stanbic Bank, Deloitte Ghana, Association of African Universities, Rx Health Info Systems, St. Michael Specialist Hospital, Makers
& Partners, Lesh Fortune Ltd, Minerals Commission, Ghana Water Company, University of Ghana Medical Centre, and the Ghana Employers’ Association.
A recurring theme was the democratization of data. One industry representative noted that "Data analysis and business intelligence is now the code in every organization," urging that these skills must move beyond IT departments to become a general literacy for all graduates. This sentiment was reinforced by another financial sector expert, who ranked "Data Analytics, AI, and Cybersecurity" as the top three non-negotiable skills for the future of banking.
Participants in a Group Photograph
On the soft skills front, stakeholders highlighted a gap in "social media literacy for business," distinguishing between recreational social media use and professional digital branding. Other experts stressed the need for "Cognitive Flexibility"—the ability to learn and unlearn in a fast-paced environment—while healthcare leaders emphasized
"Customer Service Orientation" as a critical deficiency in health management.
About the UGSDU and the Project Team
The Ghana Job Skills Report 2026 is being driven by the UGBS Grantsmanship and Skills Development Unit (UGSDU). In line with the Dean's vision, the unit was established to merge the functions of a student-focused skills development center and a faculty-focused grantsmanship and consulting support unit. This unified approach aims to create a powerful synergy, positioning UGBS as a premier hub for business talent, innovative research, and impactful consulting solutions in Africa.
The core team leading this ambitious project includes:
- Prof. Richard Boateng, UGBS – Team Leader
- Prof. Godfred Matthew Yaw Owusu, UGBS – Industry Liaison Associate
- Prof. Thomas Anning-Dorson, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa – International Advisory Associate
- Mr. Daniel Kweku Shadow, College of Humanities – Research Development Officer
- Mrs. Catherine Emefa Aziaku, Assistant Registrar, UGBS – Administrator
- Mr. Gabriel Quainoo, UGBS – Digital Support Specialist
Next Steps
The insights gathered from this roundtable, alongside nationwide student surveys, will be synthesized into the final report. The Ghana Job Skills Report 2026 is slated for a high-profile launch in the first quarter of 2026, promising to offer actionable recommendations to align Ghana’s human capital strategy with the demands of the future economy.