Our partner IICD and Microsoft Ghana have launched the ‘TizaaWorks’ online platform, which will be a national one-stop online hub for employability and entrepreneurship. With the World Bank reporting that 65% of Ghanaian youth are unemployed, the platform aims to equip young graduates and school-leavers with the right hard and soft skills to bridge the skills gap and secure first-time job opportunities, in addition to providing career guidance and resources for those wanting to build their own businesses.

In Ghana, many young people who cannot find employment in the public or private sector end up working in the informal sector in low quality jobs. Research conducted by the African Development Bank shows that it is very difficult to get out of the informal sector, unless one pursues entrepreneurship opportunities. Private companies are instrumental to curbing youth unemployment, but at the same time, youth face a shortage of skills. Microsoft’s aim through the platform is to match the right skills to appropriate jobs, and equip youth with the necessary training, tools and knowledge required to succeed in their desired job.

In a technologically-driven world, softer skills are also often overlooked. The platform offers hundreds of soft skills training courses to equip youth with the best possible opportunity to land their dream role.

The platform offers:

• Plan your career – career counselling, job market info and stats
• Get trained – mentor matching, IT training, entrepreneurship, CV writing, soft & language skills
• Find a job – job matching tool
• Entrepreneurs – Start-up training, funding tools, social entrepreneurship and free-lance opportunities.
• Get engaged – Community-based networking platform for users to share ideas and volunteer opportunities

For more information check the IICD website: http://www.iicd.org/articles/iicd-and-microsoft-to-bridge-the-gap-for-job-seekers-aspiring-entrepreneurs-and-school-leavers-through-online-platform