Country Director of the Mastercard Foundation, Rica Rwigamba, has highlighted the potential of online work to create economic opportunities for Africa’s youth.
Speaking at the Ghana Remote and Online Work (GROW) Stakeholder Gathering, developed by Generation Ghana in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, she underscored how remote and online work could become a game-changing frontier for the continent.
Held under the theme “The Employment Laboratory: Pursuing Depth & Durability,” she emphasized how these platforms could empower young people with digital skills and opening up access to global job markets without the need for migration.
Rica Rwigamba praised initiatives like Ghana Remote and Online Work programme, which equips young people with the skills necessary to secure online work in fields such as Data Analysis, Digital Customer Service, Digital Marketing, and Web Development.
“Online work with its potential to transcend traditional employment barriers is a vital part of this experimentation and a promising frontier in Africa’s employment landscape. To this end, as we celebrate a year of the implementation of the GROW programme and learning valuable lessons along the way, the theme invites us as stakeholders and partners to go beyond traditional approaches, to think deeper and to ensure the impact of our effort withstand the test of time. Africa’s online work ecosystem is growing rapidly spurred increasing internet connectivity, digital literacy initiatives and the spread of freelance platforms, more young Africans are accessing remote and online work opportunities than ever before.
“By 2030, Africa will be home to over one-third of the world’s young people. The Africa Development Bank estimates that nearly 239 million jobs across sub Saharan Africa will require some level of digital skills by 2030. Online work offers a unique way to meet the demands as it allows young Africans to develop in demand skills and connect with global job opportunities without the need to migrate. Countries like Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa are already emerging as hubs for online work and I hope we will have Ghana on this list as well,” she stated.
Country Programmes Director for Generation Ghana Vandyck Lomotey on his part emphasized the importance of the Ghana Remote and Online Work programme in tackling unemployment issues.
“If you have been in Ghana for awhile…if you know the number of young people that are un employed…they are not in education, they are not in training…that is pretty high. What Generation is doing is that Generation is reducing that number.2,000 may sound like it is not a lot but if you look at the real lives that are being changed and the ripple effect on their families, then you know that is very significant,” he said.
The GROW programme, developed by Generation Ghana in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and supported by a coalition of partners including MEST Africa, Blossom Academy, Azubi Africa, Whizzy Academy and Women’s Tech Haven, focuses on providing young Ghanaians with the skills and support needed to secure remote and online work, allowing them to compete in the global digital economy.
With a special emphasis on providing personalized support to learners and graduates, the programme has successfully created life-changing opportunities for participants by helping them secure high-quality employment.
Through the GROW Programme, Generation Ghana expects to help 2,000 young Ghanaians access tech jobs across 5 professions (AWS, Data Analysis, Digital Customer Service, Digital Marketing, and Web Development) over the next two years and enable the development of an ecosystem for global and local remote work for Ghanaian youth, particularly young women aged 18-35 years old.
Since commencing operations in Ghana in January 2024, it has successfully enrolled over 700 learners from Accra and Kumasi, selected from over 40,000 applicants nationwide – a number that reflects the high level of need for this type of opportunity.
The GROW programme is targeted at young people within the ages 18-35 years, unemployed or underemployed, University graduates with a pre-GROW average income of less than 1,500 GHS per month.
The programme is designed to provide opportunities for young people of this profile who are eager to upskill and transition into new professions. Notably, 76% learners are female, underscoring the organizations commitment to gender inclusivity.
Furthermore, 76% of graduates have already secured employment in various roles, including onsite, hybrid, remote jobs, and freelance opportunities across Ghana, Africa, Europe and North America.
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