CWG Ghana relaunches Academy to bridge skills gap in tech workforce

By:  Nana Appiah Acquaye 

CWG Ghana has relaunched its technology training arm, CWG Academy, with a renewed focus on equipping students, professionals, and technical practitioners with practical Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving digital economy.

The relaunch, held at its Head Office in Accra, forms part of the company’s broader effort to bridge what it describes as the persistent gap between academic instruction and industry practice in Ghana’s technology sector. The Academy, first opened in 2015, will now offer structured courses in infrastructure, cloud technologies, and software development, targeting learners across multiple proficiency levels.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the first cohort, Harriet Yartey, Vice President for Regions and Managing Director of CWG Ghana, said the new Academy demonstrates the company’s commitment to nurturing young talent and equipping them with market-relevant skills.

“Today, when looking for a job, it is not enough to say that you are a graduate of computer science or a related discipline. Our academic journey is often very theoretical, so when graduates enter the job market, they struggle to relate what they learned to what employers require. CWG Academy seeks to bridge that gap by providing hands-on experience that makes trainees job-ready,” she explained.

According to the World Bank’s 2024 Africa Pulse Report, nearly 60 percent of tertiary graduates in Sub-Saharan Africa are unemployed or underemployed within a year of completing their studies, largely due to the mismatch between classroom learning and practical skills.

Locally, the Ghana Statistical Service estimates that youth unemployment stood at 22.5 percent for ages 15 to 35 and 32 percent for ages 15 to 24 in 2024, with ICT among the sectors most affected by talent shortages.

CWG Ghana, a subsidiary of the pan-African ICT firm CWG Plc, said the Academy will provide short professional courses for individuals seeking to upgrade their technical competencies, as well as intensive training modules for students and entry-level professionals. It also intends to use the platform as part of its corporate social responsibility by hosting national service personnel for a year-long, skills-based internship aimed at improving employability outcomes.

Mrs. Yartey recounted how many computer science graduates leave university without ever having interacted with live systems or hardware. “Some students see a server for the first time only when they start work,” she said. “Our goal is to ensure that when they enter the workforce, they bring added value, not just credentials,” she added.

Oluwaseun Layade, CWG Ghana’s Head of Projects & Technology Services, said the relaunch is evidence of the company’s belief that exposure and opportunity are critical to professional growth. “Everything you have learned only becomes meaningful when the opportunity to apply it presents itself,” he said, following the handing out of certificates to the first cohort of participants.

One trainee, Raphael Amegashitsi, a computer science student from Central University, described the programme as a turning point in his understanding of technology. “The Academy has made theoretical concepts more real by showing us how systems operate in practice. I have been able to conceptualise different topics faster and more effectively,” he said.

CWG Academy’s return coincides with increased interest in digital skills training across Africa. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) projects that by 2030, over 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital competencies, creating an annual demand for nearly nine million new tech-skilled workers. The company said it plans to expand the Academy’s partnerships with universities and industry players to keep the curriculum aligned with global standards.