CWG Ghana has relaunched its technology training arm, CWG Academy, with an expanded curriculum focused on equipping students, professionals and technical practitioners with practical Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills aligned to current industry demands. The relaunch ceremony, held at the company’s head office in Accra, featured the graduation of the academy’s first cohort under the revamped program.
The academy originally opened in 2015 as part of a pan-African expansion that included facilities in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kampala and Accra. Over 500 ICT professionals graduated from the program between 2015 and its temporary closure, with approximately 85 percent securing employment at leading companies including IBM, MTN, Standard Chartered Bank, Chevron and Ericsson. Another 10 percent opted to become technology entrepreneurs rather than seek traditional employment.
Harriet Yartey, Vice President for Regions and Managing Director of CWG Ghana, emphasized that academic credentials alone no longer suffice in Ghana’s competitive job market. She explained that university programs often remain heavily theoretical, leaving graduates struggling to apply classroom knowledge to employer requirements. The academy aims to bridge this persistent gap by providing hands-on experience that produces job-ready graduates capable of adding immediate value to organizations.
The relaunch comes as Ghana faces significant youth employment challenges. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, youth unemployment stood at 22.5 percent for ages 15 to 35 and 32 percent for ages 15 to 24 in 2024, with the ICT sector particularly affected by talent shortages despite growing demand. The World Bank’s 2024 Africa Pulse Report indicates nearly 60 percent of tertiary graduates in Sub-Saharan Africa experience unemployment or underemployment within a year of completing their studies, primarily due to misalignment between academic preparation and practical workplace skills.
CWG Ghana, a subsidiary of pan-African ICT firm CWG Plc, will offer short professional courses for individuals seeking to upgrade technical competencies alongside intensive training modules for students and entry-level professionals. The curriculum covers infrastructure, cloud technologies and software development across multiple proficiency levels. The company intends to leverage the platform for corporate social responsibility by hosting national service personnel in year-long, skills-based internships designed to improve employability outcomes.
Yartey recounted how many computer science graduates complete university without ever interacting with live systems or hardware infrastructure. She noted that some students encounter servers for the first time only after beginning professional employment, creating steep learning curves that disadvantage both workers and employers. The academy addresses this deficiency by ensuring participants gain practical exposure before entering the workforce.
Oluwaseun Layade, CWG Ghana’s Head of Projects and Technology Services, described the relaunch as evidence of the company’s conviction that exposure and opportunity drive professional growth. He emphasized that theoretical knowledge becomes meaningful only when individuals gain opportunities to apply learned concepts in practical settings. Layade spoke at the certificate presentation ceremony for the inaugural cohort of participants under the relaunched program.
Raphael Amegashitsi, a computer science student from Central University who completed the training, characterized the program as transformative for his technology comprehension. He stated that the academy made theoretical concepts tangible by demonstrating how systems operate in practice, enabling him to conceptualize different topics faster and more effectively than through classroom instruction alone.
The academy’s return aligns with broader continental trends in digital skills development. The International Finance Corporation projects that by 2030, over 230 million jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa will require digital competencies, creating annual demand for nearly nine million new tech-skilled workers. This anticipated expansion reflects accelerating digital transformation across African economies and the corresponding need for workforces capable of supporting technological advancement.
CWG Ghana plans to expand academy partnerships with universities and industry stakeholders to maintain curriculum alignment with global standards and evolving technological requirements. The company views these collaborations as essential to ensuring graduates possess skills that match international benchmarks while addressing specific needs within Ghana’s developing ICT ecosystem.
The academy operates as part of CWG Plc’s broader workforce development strategy across multiple African markets. The parent company, which went public in 2013 and listed shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, has maintained a consistent focus on talent pipeline development as foundational to sustainable ICT sector growth. Austin Okere, founder and chairman of CWG Plc, previously described the academy initiative as evolving from a modest internal training mechanism into a critical resource for ambitious youth seeking pathways to professional achievement.
CWG Ghana celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023, highlighting two decades of ICT solutions and services delivery across telecommunications, banking, oil and gas, and government sectors. The company holds Tier 1 Cybersecurity Service Provider status from Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority, positioning it among the first organizations receiving this accreditation under the Ghana Cybersecurity Act, 2020.
The relaunched academy represents CWG Ghana’s response to persistent disconnects between educational output and market requirements that continue constraining youth employment prospects. By prioritizing hands-on learning and real-world application, the program seeks to produce graduates capable of immediate contribution to employers while addressing broader talent scarcity challenges affecting Ghana’s technology sector expansion.
