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In the month of May, Ghana experienced a transformative shift in tech education as 4,825 young people joined over 32,000 new tech learners in eight African countries to kick-start their training at ALX, the leading tech training provider in Africa.
This first cohort of learners will receive training in a suite of newly launched all-tech programmes at ALX: Data Science, Data Analytics, Cloud Computing, and Salesforce Administrator, along with ALX’s new blended learning Software Engineering programme. The training will provide young Ghanaians with some of the most in-demand skills of today, preparing them to launch and grow their careers in the global digital economy.
“By the end of this century, 40 percent of the world’s population will be African. Yet Africa only has 3 percent of the world’s software engineers. Given its abundance of young talent, we see Africa as well-positioned to solve the massive global shortage of technology skills. Our mission at ALX is to harness this wealth of human capital by developing millions of digital leaders from the continent in the next decade,” says founder of ALX and CEO of African Leadership International, Fred Swaniker.
In partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, ALX is building the largest pool of trained technical professionals in Africa, thereby addressing the worldwide tech talent shortfall that is predicted to exceed 85 million people by 2030.
Over 85,000 learners have graduated from ALX since 2021, and approximately 85 percent of its graduates have found employment within six months of completing their training. Recognising the importance of ongoing career development, ALX offers its graduates access to a programme of lifelong learning, mentorship, and career opportunities.
Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, says, “With Africa’s population set to double to over 2 billion over the next 30 years, with 15 to 20 million young people joining the workforce annually, the need to deliver high quality, relevant skills training at scale has never been more urgent. Platforms like ALX are using the power of technology to provide a new kind of education that connects to a measurable need in the market. This is emblematic of the approach we at the Foundation take under our Young Africa Works strategy, which seeks to enable 30 million young people to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.”
Tech hubs to address infrastructure and access challenges
ALX launched tech hubs in Accra and across eight cities on the continent. The hubs plan to supplement the shortfall in the country’s general infrastructure, providing high-speed internet and stable electricity in accessible co-working spaces to address the critical infrastructural challenges that many students face.
Built to foster productivity, the hubs offer spaces for peer support, training, networking, and professional development, as ALX’s programmes will for the first time blend online learning with in-person training.
“Our new tech hubs will enable deepened training, cultivate growth, and build professional competencies needed for the ever-changing world of work. We intend the hubs to be a space where learners will be developed into well-rounded tech professionals, equipped with not only technical skills but also the soft skills that are crucial to succeed in high-growth industries,” says Dr Joshua Ghanem, Country Director, ALX Ghana.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionise industries and disrupt the workplace, soft skills will become increasingly important for professionals looking to future-proof their careers and complement the hard tech skills they acquire. In an automated workplace, skills that machines cannot easily replicate – such as critical thinking, problem solving, adaptability, communication, collaboration and leadership – will have even greater value. Research conducted by the Stanford Research Institute and the Carnegie Mellon Foundation found that 75 percent of job success today depends on soft skills.
“In today’s world of AI and Big Data, young people need to be prepared for uncertainty; they need to be agile and adaptable. ALX’s new all-tech programmes have been built around our belief in the importance of reimagining and redesigning education to meet the challenges and opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Our innovative blended learning model is geared towards developing tech leaders and innovators with the most in-demand hard and soft skills to solve the problems of this century,” concludes Swaniker.
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