Northern Innovation Lab (NIL) in partnership with Ghana Tech Lab (GTL) has organized its Walewale Digital Job Fair for 100 youth to catalyze job creation through mobile app development and develop technical and business skills for increased employability and entrepreneurship.
The attendees at the 3rd edition were drawn from Startups in incubation, Interns of Free Mobile App, nation-builders corps (NABCO) Personnel, national service personnel (NSP), Jobseekers and recruiters, and other exhibitors.
Speaking at the event, the Project Manager of NIL, Alfred Opoku emphasized that the project partners are committed to building human capital by supporting unemployed youth through internship opportunities, training, and digital jobs fairs. “The Base Innovation Program supports young graduates to acquire relevant industrial skills in various organizations. It allows every trainee in the training programs to benefit fully and maximize their potential.”
Mr. Opoku highlighted the essence of the incubation and internship programs in enhancing the entrepreneurial and industry-required skills of all trainees. “After the hackathon at the hub level, the top teams are selected to enter the Ghana Tech Lab (GTL) Incubator, and other trainees are allowed to intern in organizations where they can apply the skills they have acquired.”
Expounding on the career opportunities, Gerhardt Seddoh, the North-East Regional Director of Education in charge of IT and Statistics said app development has become a need, and it is, therefore, a necessary tool for development. “There are dozens of jobs available within the Tech space and individuals need to take advantage of programs like the Free Mobile App Development to build their skills to make a positive change in society since jobs are always in demand in software companies and tech firms.”
Touching on Career development opportunities, Charles Dzidufia, an HR consultant, walked participants through preparing for a career process. “First, you evaluate yourself where you are and what you need to learn, projecting yourself after adequate preparation and studying; you need to define your skills and qualification in the most attractive way to your potential employers. And finally, look for job offers on platforms such as LinkedIn, Jobberman, etc.”
A Tech Associate at Northern Innovation Lab, Jonas Wewovi said digital skills are essential in today’s world, calling on participants, jobseekers and individuals to acquire at least a skill in tech—Computer literacy, web development, mobile app development, photography, and graphic design.