The extinction of human capital in the wake of technology

It is no news that the increase in unemployment statistics in Ghana and Africa as a whole has become a burden, as it is becoming quite evident that the menace might not be eradicated in a very long time. Don’t get me wrong am not a doomsday prophet, but the annual increase in statistics of unemployed citizens keeps shooting up astronomically, and these are matters of public record.

In spite of the efforts by successive governments to create an environment to accommodate the numbers both in the private and public sectors, it is by far a knee-jerk approach to the problem because it is not sustainable. Perhaps we are not focusing on the real problem, or we are a bunch of clueless people to finding a lasting solution.

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The problem of unemployment stems down to our educational fabric or system being practiced over the years. The era of acquiring certificates from academic institutions for employment is dead and gone. This is the age of technology, skill and innovation and with emerging technology who wants to employ unskilled graduates? In short, we have become stagnant beings in a fast-changing world.

Technology, on the other hand, has become an engine of growth, a driving force of every economy in recent times. It has over the years become a convenient tool for faster economic growth. Let me take you back into time when farm owners were in dire need of laborers to till, weed and irrigate large farms or plantations. In the technology age, all these are done effectively, faster and easier by sophisticated farm machinery.

Imagine living in a world without technology, meaning no electricity; furthermore, you can imagine how difficult communication, transportation and mostly its effect on the global economy. I dare say the world would have retrogressed 100 years behind as compared to the fascinating innovations we have seen over the years in recent times. Fortunately and unfortunately, technology has come to stay to compete and eliminate the human capital if we don’t adapt to the fast-changing world. Even more, worrying about this phenomenon is Africans, who do not see the bigger picture.

For instance, solar panel is one of the most brilliant innovations ever to hit the world is beginning to make an impact in power generation and supply as it has proven to be easier to use, cost effective and efficient than hydroelectric power supply. Just like the accessibility of smartphones globally, if solar panels get more accessible in the coming years; you can begin to imagine how redundant most people working within the power supply entity will be, regardless of their academic qualifications.

By Allen Tetteh Daniels

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