The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced plans to explore job placement opportunities for graduates of the One Million Coders Programme (OMCP) to improve their chances of securing employment.
He said the ministry, together with the programme’s implementation committee, would undertake market analysis to identify the digital skills employers need and connect trained participants to relevant job opportunities.
Mr George made the remarks when he visited the Kwadaso Regional Information Centre (RIC) in the Kwadaso Municipality of the Ashanti Region to interact with students enrolled in the programme.
The visit formed part of his working tour of the region to inspect OMCP centres and telecommunications infrastructure.
According to the minister, the programme must go beyond training to help participants secure better jobs, increase their earnings or establish their own businesses.
“For me, it goes beyond the training to what we will do after you’re done with the training. Because for us, we believe that this training must lead you to be able to get a better job or improve your earnings where you are or start something of your own,” he said.
Mr George disclosed that the ministry was engaging institutions in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry to identify employment opportunities and the specific skills companies require.
He cited Teleperformance and Concentrix as two companies whose recruitment plans could create opportunities for trained Ghanaians.
According to him, Teleperformance had recruited an additional 1,500 workers, mainly for data annotation and data entry roles, while Concentrix had indicated plans to expand its operations and recruit about 6,000 additional workers.
He said the ministry was examining the skills required by such companies so that the programme could provide training aligned with industry demand.
The minister urged participants to progress from beginner to intermediate and advanced courses, stressing that completing the full training pathway could improve their employability.
“If we have a slot, and there’s someone who’s done advanced, and there’s someone who’s done beginner, if you were to employ, which one would you employ?” he asked.
Mr George encouraged the students to take the free programme seriously and invest the time needed to complete their training.
He said the ministry was working to ensure that digital skills development translated into practical economic opportunities for participants.
