Tech Job Fair 2023 - Overview

Introduction
Demand for technology-related jobs in Ghana is forecasted to reach 9 million by 2030, according to International Finance Corporation (IFC). This projection is based on the trajectory of progress the country has made within its technology and educational sectors in recent years. With a vibrant telecommunications sector that has innovatively accelerated Internet connectivity and financial inclusion, especially in the last decade, the country has become a shining example for technology deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

In terms of education, the World Bank reports that, presently, about 18.6 percent of Ghanaians have had tertiary education. For example, in 2020 alone, there were 547,000 students in tertiary institutions across the country. And for the 2022/2023 service year, the National Service Scheme (NSS) deployed 115,240 graduates. Potentially, most of these graduates will enter the job market after 12 months, adding to the backlog of unemployed graduates in the system. According to the Institute of Statistics, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) only 10 percent of graduates find jobs within the first year of completing their studies. For the remaining 90 percent, some may take as long as 10 years to find decent employment.

The Tech Job Fair
Debates have always been rife about whether the graduate unemployment situation in Ghana is occasioned by the lack of job openings or a mismatch of skills in relation to the available jobs. It is in response to this dilemma that the concept of a Tech Job Fair (TJF) was conceived and birthed in 2021. The main objective of the fair has been to bring together companies looking for new talents, on the one hand, and job-seeking graduates on the other, to exhibit and fill up job openings through an innovative rapid recruitment process. The 2023 edition (following that of the previous year) will be held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on February 22, 2023, under the theme “leveraging technology to create inclusive and sustainable jobs.”

Tech Job Fair (TJF) is an annual event that brings together industry players, educators, students, government, and job seekers to understand the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) job roles. The job fair is used to exhibit current ICT-related job openings in various industries and to help other stakeholders to understand the ICT skills needs of employers. This is part of the broader agenda to ensure an enabling environment is created for young people to access decent jobs, so they benefit from the digital transformation agenda of Ghana.

Opportunities for Participation
The Tech Job fair is FREE and open to all job seekers and companies with ICT-related jobs. Exhibitions at the fair, however, will be restricted to partners and companies with a track record in the tech industry. These companies will have access to a large pool of fresh talent seeking their very first job breakthrough, as well as experienced professionals seeking to switch jobs or careers. What is significant is that job seekers will be asked to complete an online survey to help match their skills with jobs to be exhibited at the fair.

The Fair is a great opportunity to find or change to a new job, learn from the best experts in the IT & digital industry, and network with peers. It provides the avenue to understand the needs and expectations of all stakeholders and development partners of Ghana concerned with creating opportunities related to jobs and the future of work - highlighting opportunities for meaningful jobs in a digital economy, through required skills to access these opportunities, and effective interventions to develop these skills.

Beyond on-site participation at Accra International Conference Centre, provisions will be made for virtual participation to ensure that as many companies and individuals that are interested will participate.

About the Partners
The lead organizer for the Tech Job Fair, the Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana (IIPGH), is a professional association of experts and businesses in the ICT industry in Ghana and beyond. The Institute is a connector of ICT professionals from corporate organizations, educational institutions, start-ups, government institutions, development partners, and civil society organizations to create a vibrant ICT ecosystem.

The Fair has been adopted as part of the DigiCAP.gh initiative, a project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) via Sequa as part of the Special Initiative Partner Africa with AFOS Foundation, a business-oriented and value-based foundation for international development cooperation, as the implementing partner.

Other collaborating partners for the fair include GIZ Ghana, the Netherlands Trust Fund, the International Trade Centre, the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, DgiCAP.gh, Jobberman Ghana, L’AINE Services, GIBT, Admintelecom, MTN Ghana, University of Cape Coast (UCC), Accra Technical University (ATU), National Service Scheme (NSS), Delegation of German Industry & Commerce in Ghana (AHK), Google Developer Group Accra, IoT Network Hub, among others.

The Event
This year’s Tech Job Fair (#TJF2023) is expected to host over 2000 potential jobseekers with 50 institutions representing the industry. The event will be held in four sessions, including an exhibition of booths at the foyer of the conference centre, which starts at 9 am through to the end of the program at 4 pm; presentation sessions, breakout sessions; and plenary discussion sessions. The event will be streamed live on social media and on the institute’s online portals. Pre-event activities have been lined up to prepare jobseekers for opportunities before the fair. These activities include virtual sessions by tech experts, Industry-Academia Tech Dialogue, media interviews, and other engagements. Visit www.techjobfairghana.com for further details.

Author: David Gowu–Executive Director, Institute of ICT Professionals, Ghana

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