SmartThings is a social entrepreneur bent on shifting the narrative on soaring levels of youth unemployment in Ghana recorded at 13.69% (2019). Research has highlighted one of the major causes of this problem as a skills mismatch/gap.

SmartThings runs job-specific skills acquisition programmes to prepare the youth (ages 19 and 29) as employees or entrepreneurs. This is crucial to the development of the greater Ghanaian economy.

We provide a holistic solution to all future digital needs so candidates are properly positioned to succeed. We prepare the youth for business management, office and public administration, project management, etc.

We achieve our gooals with a lot of help from our partners by sourcing external funding to support our participants.

According to Adjei, P, 2018 ‘The modern-day worker is understood to be employable if he or she possesses or can accredit himself a sufficient level of professional skills and qualification that is commensurate with the needs of the labour market’.

Most Ghanaian youth complete their education without adequate employable skills leading to they becoming unemployable or securing jobs with low entry wages.

This situation leads to lack of job experience, self-awareness and self-confidence. Therefore, when these young people do secure jobs, they are pegged with low productivity potential to their prospective employer and thus not promoted nor retained for long. 

Ironically, employers’ biggest challenge is finding well-trained employees.

This has greatly contributed to a high youth unemployment in Ghana and this is a major cause for concern for the economy and it's future.

As these unemployed group have the added burden of high financial constraints, they are unable to pay for crucial upskilling course. This vicious cycle continues until something extraordinary happens.

That is where Y2J comes into the picture!

■As modern career choices (employee/entrepreneur) require enhanced digital skills. These are the basis of any economic activity.

■Our highly subsidised or fully funded courses allow more people to join the programme, thus contributing to reducing youth unemployment in the Ghanaian society.

■Africa is capable of solving it’s own problems: We are working hard to equip our future leaders with the necessary tools to do so.

■Without jobs, young people will most likely to go into illegal activities like prostitution, drug abuse and robbery.