Bridging the ICT Skills Gap in Ghana

The University of Ghana was established several decades ago and currently stands as the nation's foremost institution of higher education. It is dedicated to the advancement of university education, learning, and research.

In pursuit of its mission to excel in research and make significant national and international contributions, the University launched a Strategic Plan in 2014 which has been revised in 2024. This plan aims to leverage the University's strengths while adapting to the evolving higher education landscape both in Ghana and globally. The Department of Computer Science holds a prominent position at the University, and it has attracted considerable interest due to its specialized programs tailored to student needs.

The University of Ghana has forged a productive partnership with Huawei aimed at enhancing educational and professional opportunities for its students. This collaboration includes participation in the Huawei ICT Academy program, Seeds for the Future, the Huawei Job Fair, and more. It provides students with essential skills and certifications in information and communications technology. Through these joint initiatives and training programs, the University and Huawei are helping foster a skilled workforce and contributing to technological advancement both locally and internationally.

As a lecturer within this department, I have been able to deeply engage on the very front line of this collaboration. It has been an honor to witness not only the growth of the students, but the advancement of the ICT industry as well.

Enriching the curriculum with first-hand industry experience

At the University of Ghana, all courses undergo a rigorous accreditation process, requiring approval from the department head and subsequent endorsement from university management before integration into the curriculum. Aligned with our department's strategic vision to bridge the gap between academia and industry, we have incorporated Huawei datacom and security courses into our program. Furthermore, we are in the process of introducing other courses such as IoT, 5G, and openEuler to further expand our curriculum.

Our approach utilizes resources from Huawei's learning platform to enable students to engage in self-directed learning with comprehensive learning materials. This initiative not only enhances the depth of their technical knowledge, but also ensures alignment with industry standards and practices. In this way, students are better prepared for real-world challenges in the rapidly evolving field of ICT.

To enhance ICT talent development, we begin by supervising students' progress on the Huawei ICT Academy portal. Those who actively engage and achieve a learning rate of 50% or more earn additional marks towards their final assessments. Weekly quizzes aligned with the class modules are administered to maintain continual engagement with course materials and ensure readiness for subsequent assessments.

Given the scale of the classes, students are put in groups and assigned Huawei ambassadors and teaching assistants for support. These assistants are similar to tutors. They guide students through laboratory exercises and address any questions not covered during lectures. Practical simulations are conducted using Huawei's enterprise Network Simulation Platform (eNSP) to give students hands-on experience in scenarios with near real-world conditions.

Furthermore, to foster a comprehensive learning environment, we have adopted additional initiatives such as project-based learning and collaborative group task completion. We also organize regular feedback sessions and industry guest lectures to enrich students' practical understanding and readiness for the challenges in professional ICT fields.

Students and faculty challenge new goals in the Huawei ICT Competition

Encouraging active participation in various competitions has been a longstanding policy within our department. Since our start as an academy, our students have participated in the Huawei ICT Competition. Some of our students even made it to the Regional Finals in the latest edition of this competition.

Looking forward, we aim to have a stronger representation from our university in future competitions, and we are actively working towards this goal. Over the years, we have trained more than 1,000 students on various Huawei courses, with over 251 receiving certifications in various domains. Our department received the Best Huawei Instructor Award in Ghana during the 2022 Maiden Huawei ICT Academy Awards ceremony as well as the Best Huawei ICT Academy Award.

Furthermore, in the recently concluded Global Finals, I was honored to receive the prestigious distinction of being named one of the Most Valuable Instructors of 2024. This recognition marks a significant milestone, representing the first honor of this kind we have received in the history of our university.

To ensure our students' success during their certification exams, we have made Huawei HCIx exam preparation a foundational component of our curriculum. Assessment involves the use of mock exams sourced from the Huawei portal, supplemented by my personal collection of over 1,000 MCQs, which I administer during university examinations. Despite our efforts, historical success rates have been modest, partly due to the long wait times students typically experience before taking the Huawei HCIx exams. And so, we are working with Huawei Ghana to arrange for our students to take these exams shortly after their main university examinations which will enhance their probability of success.

Connecting students with the industry's employment market

Throughout the years, we have remained committed to ensuring our graduates secure gainful employment. Notably, several students have completed their national service with Huawei Ghana and transitioned into permanent roles. Additionally, through collaborative efforts, such as job fairs and recruitment initiatives organized by Huawei and the Huawei ICT Academy at the University of Ghana, many of our students have secured positions with prominent IT corporations such as MTN, AirtelTigo, and Telecel.

The department has produced many students who are working with top companies and are making outstanding contributions to industry. We currently have about 30 graduates who are working with Huawei Ghana. These graduates include Quality & Compliance Specialist Esther Ampaabeng and CEM Engineer Petra Naana Ayiwa Sarpong who joined the company in 2021, and Project Plan Control Specialist Raphael Appiah-Kubi, IP Engineer Abdul Latif Seidu Kpebu, and Microwave Engineer Rodney Nartey who all joined in 2023.

Navigating today's competitive industries is a formidable challenge for aspiring professionals. Employers are also experiencing increasing difficulty in finding suitable candidates for different roles, often noting a gap between the skills they need and the skills graduates actually possess.

In response to these challenges, the Huawei ICT Academy and the University of Ghana are committed to equipping students in Legon with the essential knowledge and skills necessary for successful careers in the ICT sector. The University of Ghana has expanded its educational offerings to encompass multiple domains within the ICT industry, in collaboration with the Huawei ICT Academy. This partnership aims to facilitate global connectivity for the University, foster a community favorable to the exchange of knowledge and ideas among students, and empower students to expand their professional horizons.

With this mission at its core, the University of Ghana's Department of Computer Science, remains steadfast in its commitment to collaborating with Huawei to cultivate innovative ICT specialists. Together, we endeavor to create substantial value for industries and contribute to broader socioeconomic development. In the long term, this strategic partnership aims to address the disparity between the supply and demand of skilled talent, thereby promoting sustainable development within Ghana's growing ICT sector.