A university graduate attends a job interview with an impressive certificate and a good academic record. The interview progresses smoothly until the applicant is asked to explain how a workplace problem could be resolved. Although familiar with the subject, the graduate struggles to organise the response. The ideas are there, but expressing them clearly becomes difficult.
Does this mean the graduate lacks knowledge? Not necessarily. However, it raises an important question: Are our universities doing enough to prepare students to communicate what they know?
In Ghana, graduation is a proud occasion. Families celebrate years of sacrifice, while graduates look forward to employment opportunities. Yet, beyond the certificates and celebrations, employers expect graduates who can understand instructions, express ideas clearly, write coherently and interact responsibly with others.
When Knowledge Meets Communication
University education provides specialised knowledge, but possessing knowledge and communicating it effectively are not necessarily the same.
Communication involves four interconnected skills: listening, reading, speaking and writing. These enable individuals to receive information, interpret meaning and express ideas appropriately.
In teaching Communication Skills to first-year university students, one useful classroom exercise is to ask students to explain a familiar concept in their own words. A student may recognise the correct answer when it is presented but find it difficult to construct a clear explanation independently. This distinction between understanding information and communicating it deserves greater attention.
The World Economic Forum (2023) identifies analytical thinking, empathy and active listening among important workplace skills.
A graduate may understand an organisational problem but struggle to explain its implications during a meeting. Another may have useful recommendations but find it difficult to present them in a coherent report.
In both situations, communication difficulties can limit the usefulness of professional knowledge.
We Hear, but Do We Listen?
How often do misunderstandings occur because someone responds before understanding what has been said?
An employee receives instructions but fails to pay attention to important details. The assignment is consequently performed incorrectly. A supervisor dismisses workers’ concerns without allowing them to explain their difficulties.
Such situations remind us that hearing and listening are not identical.
Hearing involves detecting sound, whereas listening requires attention, interpretation and understanding.
Reading is equally important. Graduates must interpret documents, identify relevant information and question unsupported claims.
These abilities are particularly valuable in an environment where information circulates rapidly and inaccurate messages can easily mislead people.
Writing Beyond the Examination Hall
Writing does not end with university examinations. It continues through emails, reports, memoranda, proposals and official correspondence.
A poorly constructed sentence may confuse its reader, while an ambiguous instruction may delay an important decision.
Consider this sentence:
“The documents you requested it has been sent but the manager have not approve it.”
A clearer version reads:
“The requested documents have been submitted, but the manager has not yet approved them.”
The difference demonstrates how grammatical accuracy and conciseness improve understanding.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (2024) identifies communication as a career-readiness competency involving the clear and effective exchange of information.
Students must therefore appreciate that writing is not merely an academic requirement. It is an essential professional responsibility.
Is Social Media Responsible?
Some people blame social media for difficulties in formal writing. Abbreviations and informal expressions have become common in everyday digital communication.
However, blaming social media entirely would be unfair.
Digital platforms also encourage information sharing, professional networking and collaboration. The real concern is whether users can distinguish between informal conversations and professional communication.
UNESCO (2023) examines the opportunities and challenges associated with technology in education, including the need to consider how digital tools are used.
A message suitable for a WhatsApp conversation with friends may be inappropriate in official correspondence. Effective communicators must recognise these differences.
Should Communication Outweigh Professional Knowledge?
Some may argue that employers should prioritise technical competence over communication skills. After all, what benefit is an eloquent employee who cannot perform assigned duties?
This argument deserves consideration.
Communication cannot replace professional expertise. Neither should fluency in standard English become the sole measure of intelligence or competence, particularly in multilingual Ghana.
Nevertheless, professional knowledge and communication abilities complement each other. Employees must understand their responsibilities and communicate information accurately enough for others to act upon it.
The Ethical Responsibility
Communication also involves moral responsibility.
An employee may communicate persuasively but deliberately conceal important information. Another may disclose confidential documents or circulate unverified allegations.
Such behaviour undermines trust.
Professional communication must therefore reflect honesty, accuracy, respect and accountability. Speaking confidently is not enough if the information communicated is misleading.
What Must Change
Ghanaian universities should strengthen the practical teaching of communication. Students need regular opportunities to listen critically, read analytically, speak confidently and write coherently.
This responsibility should not rest solely with Communication Skills lecturers. Lecturers across disciplines should encourage clear expression, logical reasoning and effective writing.
Employers can contribute through mentoring and constructive feedback. Students must equally take responsibility for developing their communication abilities.
Beyond the Certificate
A university certificate may create employment opportunities, but professional effectiveness also depends on how graduates apply and communicate their knowledge.
Ghana needs graduates who combine academic competence with critical thinking, attentive listening, clear expression, coherent writing and ethical judgement.
The challenge is not to choose between knowledge and communication. Both are necessary.
After all, what is the value of knowledge if its possessor cannot communicate it clearly enough for others to understand, trust and use?
References
National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2024). Career readiness: Competencies for a career-ready workforce. https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/career-readiness-defined
UNESCO. (2023). Global education monitoring report 2023: Technology in education—A tool on whose terms? https://doi.org/10.54676/UZQV8501
World Economic Forum. (2023). The future of jobs report 2023. https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/
