Ripple Effect of a Vibrant Fashion Industry on Graduate Unemployment

Abstract

A vibrant Fashion Industry has the propensity of accommodating a huge workforce, employing everyone from design, illustration, graphic communication, marketing logistics, media, and consultancy among others. All these related industries play a major role to bring fashion products to the doorsteps of the final consumer. Although the Fashion Industry have the capacity to absorb a number of graduates, unemployment rate is expeditiously assuming an alarming proportion in Ghana as annually, a new batch of university and polytechnic graduates feed into the existing unemployed group. The study sought to investigate the potential effect of a vibrant fashion industry in alleviating graduate unemployment in Ghana. The importance of this work is to bridge the gap between unemployed skillfully trained manpower and the huge potential market for dynamic fashion products that is ever increasing with population growth to create value chain employment towards the growth of the economy. Further research should be done to identify additional institutions that are required to collaborate and strengthen the existing ones, modern machinery and advertisement to revamp the Ghanaian fashion industry. As a qualitative enquiry, the study employs descriptive research approach making use of interview as data gathering tool. The study establishes that Fashion Industry in Ghana cannot be described as vibrant because it lacks essential components that qualify a fashion industry as vibrant. These components are; automation in garment productions, professional fashion designers, fashion institutions equipped with ultra-modern facilities for teaching and learning and market research institutions among others. The study is will help to position the country on the global fashion platform; this will attract more tourists into the country and that will lead to expansion of the revenue base of the economy. Again the creation of jobs along the value chain from design, production, advertisement to marketing will help to reduce graduate unemployment in the country. The study recommends a link between academia, industry and government in order to help revamp the industry in order to create numerous employment avenues along the value chain.

Keywords: Ripple effect, Vibrant Fashion Industry, Graduate, Unemployment