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Diaspora Graduate Pathways to Jobs Programme

The Diaspora Graduate Pathways to Jobs Programme (DGPJP) is a structured reintegration initiative designed to support Ghanaian graduates trained abroad to successfully transition into decent employment and sustainable livelihoods within the national economy. The programme responds to the growing challenge of graduate unemployment, underemployment, and brain drain by creating clear, supported pathways from global education to local jobs and enterprise opportunities.
 
The programme combines labour market integration, entrepreneurship development, future skills training, and post-placement support to ensure that globally trained graduates are productively absorbed into priority sectors of the economy, including STEM, TVET, green jobs, digital industries, health, and enterprise development. By aligning graduate skills with market demand and reducing barriers to employment and enterprise creation, DGPJP maximises the national return on investment in overseas education and strengthens Ghana’s human capital base.

Goal

To convert global education and international training into sustainable employment, enterprise creation, and economic value for Ghana by ensuring the effective reintegration of diaspora-trained graduates into the national economy.

Objectives

Facilitate the reintegration of diaspora-trained Ghanaian graduates into the national economy

Increase access to decent employment opportunities for globally trained graduates

Support graduate-led entrepreneurship and enterprise creation 

Reduce graduate unemployment, underemployment, and re-migration 

Align global education and skills with domestic labour market needs 

Promote future-ready skills, including STEM, TVET, digital, and green economy skills 

Strengthen private sector productivity and job creation

Enhance national returns on investment in overseas education and training 

Program Components

Graduate Profiling and Skills Mapping

  • Identification and registration of diaspora-trained Ghanaian graduates
  • Skills assessment and profiling aligned to labour market needs
  • Sectoral mapping in priority areas such as STEM, TVET, health, green jobs, digital economy, and enterprise development

Employment Pathways and Job Placement

  • Partnerships with public institutions, private sector employers, multinationals, and development organisations
  • Facilitation of job placements, internships, fellowships, and transition-to-work programmes
  • Support for onboarding and early career integration

Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development

  • Entrepreneurship and business management training
  • Support for graduate-led startups through startup kits, tools, machinery, and seed funding
  • Business incubation and mentorship support

Regulatory, Licensing, and Certification Support

  • Facilitation of business registration and compliance processes
  • Support for acquisition of relevant licenses and certifications (FDA, GSA, GRA, Registrar-General, sector regulators)
  • Compliance education to ensure enterprise sustainability

Future Skills, STEM, and TVET Integration

  • Upskilling and reskilling in future-oriented skills
  • Alignment of graduates with STEM and TVET-driven job opportunities
  • Promotion of digital, green, and industrial skills

Post-Placement and Post-Startup Support

  • Ongoing mentoring, monitoring, and performance evaluation
  • Market access, financing linkages, and growth support
  • Support until stable employment or enterprise sustainability is achieved.

Expected Outcomes

Sustainability

The sustainability of the Diaspora Graduate Pathways to Jobs Programme is anchored in enterprise-led growth, institutional partnerships, and skills retention. Graduate-led enterprises supported under the programme are designed to become commercially viable and contribute to economic activity and job creation. Strategic partnerships with employers, regulators, and financial institutions will ensure continuity beyond initial donor support.

The programme adopts a scalable and modular design, allowing expansion across sectors and regions while maintaining cost efficiency. A strong monitoring and learning framework will support adaptive management, continuous improvement, and evidence-based scaling. Over time, successful programme models and outcomes will inform policy integration, enabling government and private sector uptake and ensuring long-term impact.