The 2023 edition of the Tech Job Fair (TJF), scheduled to come off on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), will be held on the theme “Leveraging technology to create inclusive and sustainable jobs”.

An initiative of the Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana (II­PGH), and sponsored by AFOS Foundation, the one-day job fair will bring together companies looking for new talents, on one hand, and job-seeking graduates on the other to exhibit and fill up job openings through an innova­tive rapid recruitment process.

Speaking at the launch, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Ghana Investment Fund of Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Mr Prince Ofosu Sefah, noted that the TJF was in line with the government’s agenda to bridging the unemployment gap in the country.

“One of the things I like most about the upcoming Tech Job Fair is the fact that once again it is going to create an opportunity for industry players to interface with tech job seekers so they can dialogue on how best tech job vacancies can be filled. Govern­ment therefore throws its full weight behind the 2023 Tech Job Fair. My assurance to IIPGH and AFOS Foundation and all partners is that government will continue to support initiatives such as these.”

The Director General for National Information Technolo­gy Agency (NITA), Mr Richard Okyere-Fosu, in a speech read on his behalf, highlighted that the country was thriving ondigital­isation and stressed the need for businesses and individuals to be digitally inclined to stay relevant in the industry.

The Project Manager of AFOS Foundation and DigiCAP.gh, Hanna Schlingmann, said, “We are very optimistic that the young professionals who have participated in the DigiCAP training have amazing career op­portunities ahead of them. With the Digi CAP Junior Consultant Programme, the AFOS Founda­tion encourages young talents to develop an entrepreneurial spirit so they can become not only well-paid employees, but even well-paying employers.”

“A good investment we can make is to open our doors to engage with the new generation not as potential competitors but as emerging professionals, col­laborators and innovators for our shared future,” she stressed.

The Executive Director of IIPGH, Mr David Gowu, said the demand for technology-related jobs in Ghana was growing and was forecast by the International Finance Corporation to reach 9 million by 2030.

He said it was in that direction the IIPGH would highlight the skills openings in the technology space.

The Executive Director indicated that the fair sought to  provide the avenue to understand the needs and expectations of all stakeholders.

“Debates have always been rife as to whether the graduate unemployment situation in Ghana is occasioned by 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 TJF was conceived and birthed in 2021, and it is a great opportunity to find or change to a new job, learn from the best experts in IT and digital industry and as well learn from and network with peers,” he said.