Accra, Feb. 25, GNA – Job seekers in the technology industry have been advised to develop soft skills to be competitive in the sector.
Speakers who gave the advice at this year’s Tech Job Fair said skills in information technology alone were not enough for them to perform efficiently and advance in their career.
The Fair was organised by the Institute of ICT Professionals Ghana (IIPGH) in collaboration AFOS-Foundation with support from the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Ghana.
The event was on the theme: “Connecting your tech skills with the right businesses in the fast-growing ICT sector.”
The Fair is an annual event that brings together industry players, educators, students, government, and job seekers to understand the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) job roles.
There were over 500 job seekers, who were matched with over 200 tech jobs.
The job fair is used to exhibit current ICT-related job openings in various industries, and it helps other stakeholders to understand the ICT skill needs of employers.
Some of the soft skills that are required to complement the tech skills are communication and interpersonal skills, teamwork, empathy, decision making and adaptability, among others.
Professor Fred McBagonluri, President, Academic City University College, explained that aside from the IT skills, no employer would hire an individual without a good altitude.
Prof McBagonluri, who is also the Board Chair of IIPGH, said a professional, who exhibited a highly positive attitude towards work would be a preferred choice.
He said most employers wanted candidates with added skills like leadership potential and creativity to add value to their operations.
Mr David Gowu, the Executive Director of IIPGH, said over the years, Ghana had struggled with high unemployment, especially among young graduates.
He said the situation had been compounded by a mismatch between technology-related graduates and available job opportunities.
The Executive Director said IIPGH sought to connect job seekers with employers looking to fill vacancies in their technology departments.
Some of the roles include web design, digital marketing, python programming and a host of other programming-related jobs.
He said the Fair would provide job seekers with the requisite knowledge of the tech job market such as the skills in demand and preparations towards opportunities in 2022 and beyond.
“This is part of the broader agenda to ensure an enabling environment is created for young people to access decent jobs, so they benefit from the digital transformation agenda of Ghana,” he added
Ms Hanna Schlingmann, the Project Manager of AFOS Foundation, called on stakeholders within the technology sector to embrace the opportunities that came with the Fair.
“With the fair, we offer exposure and networking opportunities for young professionals who are passionate about a career in the tech industry. We want to encourage both the private sector and the job seekers to promote themselves, and to make an impact in a world that needs responsible and skilled entrepreneurs,” she said.
GNA