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Project
7b:
Mobility of the Highly Skilled
in Ghana
Summary
Past experience in Ghana suggests that certain sectors
of the country’s economy have suffered severely from shortages
of manpower. For example, it is estimated that over 60 per cent
of all medical doctors trained in Ghana over recent years are now
working outside the country, whilst large numbers of nurses are
leaving the country every month. In the past, movement of teachers
to other countries in Africa have also posed significant problems
for the country’s education system, although these flows now
appear to have declined.
This project aims to explore in detail the nature and impact of
professional mobility from Ghana, through examination of the process
of emigration, and its dynamic impacts on particular sectors of
the labour market. Data will initially be compiled on stocks of
skills, and the level and nature of training in different sectors
as well as on numbers of skilled migrants leaving the country. To
do this, university/training institute and alumni records will be
explored where feasible, whilst professional societies and relevant
ministries will also be consulted. These will be used to create
sample frames for a second phase when more detailed information
on specific cohorts of skilled workers in one or two selected professions
will be collected through specially designed questionnaire surveys.
In the first phase, intensive and less structured interviews will
also be carried out with key informants at the policy level to assess
the strategies being implemented to deal with skill loss.
Key Research Questions
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What is the extent of migration of the highly-skilled
in Ghana? Is this a growing or declining phenomenon? Which sectors
are most affected? |
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What causes migration of the highly-skilled?
At an individual level, why do people leave? Does this express
dissatisfaction with the home country, or aspirations or opportunities
abroad? |
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What are the consequences of highly-skilled
migration, for training, labour markets and development outcomes
in Ghana? |
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What are the policy options available? |
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Key Theme(s)
Health and Education
Type(s) of Migration
Skilled
Migration
Region
Ghana / Africa
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Convenor
Ron
Skeldon
Investigators
John
Anarfi (ISSER)
Stephen
Kwankye (RIPS)
Key Activities
1. |
Analysis of university/training institute
alumni and professional society records. |
2. |
Interviews with key informants. |
3. |
Questionnaire survey of trainees and recent graduates
in selected professions. |
4. |
Analysis and comparison with global data from project
7a. |
Key Outputs
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Working papers |
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Contributions to workshops
on professional mobility in Dhaka and Accra |
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