CWG Ghana relaunches Academy to bridge skills gap in tech workforce – CediRates

Report on the Relaunch of CWG Academy and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Introduction: Addressing Ghana’s ICT Skills Gap in Line with Global Goals

CWG Ghana has relaunched its technology training division, CWG Academy, to provide practical Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills. The initiative is strategically designed to address the persistent gap between academic instruction and industry demands within Ghana’s digital economy. This effort directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on education, employment, and innovation for students, professionals, and technical practitioners.

Alignment with SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth)

The core mission of the relaunched CWG Academy is to advance SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by equipping the workforce with relevant technical skills. The program aims to reduce youth unemployment by enhancing graduate employability.

• SDG 4 – Quality Education: The Academy provides inclusive and equitable access to vocational training through structured courses in high-demand areas.
  • Infrastructure Technologies
  • Cloud Computing
  • Software Development
• SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth: By providing hands-on, job-ready training, the initiative directly tackles the challenge of youth unemployment and underemployment, fostering productive employment.
  • Regional Context: The World Bank’s 2024 Africa Pulse Report indicates nearly 60% of tertiary graduates in Sub-Saharan Africa are unemployed or underemployed post-graduation due to a skills mismatch.
  • National Context: The Ghana Statistical Service (2024) estimates youth unemployment at 32% for ages 15-24, with the ICT sector facing significant talent shortages.

As stated by Harriet Yartey, Managing Director of CWG Ghana, the objective is to bridge the gap where “graduates enter the job market, they struggle to relate what they learned to what employers require.”

Contribution to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)

The Academy’s focus on digital competencies is critical for building resilient infrastructure and fostering innovation, which are central tenets of SDG 9. Furthermore, its operational model emphasizes collaboration, aligning with SDG 17.

1. Fostering Innovation (SDG 9): The training prepares a skilled workforce capable of supporting and driving Africa’s digital transformation. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) projects that by 2030, over 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills, highlighting the urgency of such initiatives.
2. Building Human Capital Infrastructure: The program ensures that trainees interact with live systems and hardware, moving beyond theoretical knowledge to build a robust human capital infrastructure.
3. Strengthening Partnerships (SDG 17): CWG Ghana plans to expand the Academy’s partnerships with universities and industry players to ensure the curriculum remains aligned with global standards and evolving market needs.
4. Corporate Social Responsibility: The Academy will host national service personnel for a year-long, skills-based internship, demonstrating a commitment to improving national employability outcomes through public-private collaboration.

Program Impact and Future Outlook

The relaunch of CWG Academy represents a targeted intervention to create a sustainable talent pipeline for the technology sector. The positive feedback from the inaugural cohort, such as trainee Raphael Amegashitsi’s testimony that the program “made theoretical concepts more real,” validates the hands-on approach. By equipping individuals with market-relevant skills, CWG Ghana is not only enhancing individual livelihoods but also contributing to the broader economic resilience and sustainable development of the nation.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article’s central theme is the relaunch of the CWG Academy to provide practical ICT skills. This directly addresses the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education by focusing on technical and vocational training to bridge the gap between theoretical academic learning and the practical demands of the technology industry.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The initiative aims to tackle high youth unemployment by making graduates “job-ready” and improving their “employability outcomes.” By equipping the workforce with skills for the “rapidly evolving digital economy,” the academy contributes to promoting sustained, inclusive economic growth and productive employment.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The training focuses on “infrastructure, cloud technologies, and software development,” which are foundational elements of the modern digital infrastructure. By developing human capital in the ICT sector, the initiative supports technological upgrading and innovation within Ghana’s industries.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article mentions that CWG Ghana “plans to expand the Academy’s partnerships with universities and industry players.” This highlights a multi-stakeholder approach, where a private company collaborates with educational institutions and the broader industry to achieve common development goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 4.4: Increase the number of people with relevant skills for financial success

  The article directly relates to this target, which aims to “substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.” The CWG Academy’s mission is to provide “practical Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills” to make trainees job-ready.

• Target 8.6: Promote youth employment, education and training

  The article highlights the problem of youth unemployment in Ghana. The academy’s objective to provide a “skills-based internship aimed at improving employability outcomes” directly addresses the goal of reducing the proportion of youth not in employment, education, or training.

• Target 9.c: Increase access to information and communications technology

  While the academy does not provide direct access to the internet, it builds the essential human capital needed to manage, innovate, and expand the ICT sector. By training professionals in key technological areas, it supports the broader goal of enhancing the nation’s technological capabilities and infrastructure.

• Target 17.17: Encourage effective partnerships

  The plan to form partnerships between CWG Academy, universities, and industry players is a clear example of this target in action. It demonstrates a private-sector-led, multi-stakeholder partnership aimed at strengthening the means of implementation for sustainable development.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 4.4 (Implied):

  The article implies the use of an indicator such as the “Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills.” The success of the CWG Academy can be measured by the number of individuals it trains and certifies, thereby increasing the pool of skilled ICT professionals.

• Indicator for Target 8.6 (Mentioned):

  The article explicitly provides data that serves as a baseline indicator: the “Proportion of youth… not in employment.” It cites the Ghana Statistical Service estimate that “youth unemployment stood at 22.5 percent for ages 15 to 35 and 32 percent for ages 15 to 24 in 2024.” The academy’s impact could be measured against this metric.

• Indicator for Target 9.c (Implied):

  The article points to the need for a skilled ICT workforce. The IFC’s projection that “over 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital competencies” implies an indicator related to the supply of skilled tech workers. The number of graduates from the academy contributes directly to this supply.

• Indicator for Target 17.17 (Implied):

  The plan to “expand the Academy’s partnerships with universities and industry players” suggests an indicator based on the “Number of multi-stakeholder partnerships.” Progress can be measured by tracking the quantity and quality of these collaborative agreements.

4. Summary of Findings

Source: cedirates.com