AGS launches TechServe Employability Programme

The Association of Ghana Startups (AGS), in partnership with AFOS Foundation, WERise Network, through the Digivibe project, has officially launched the TechServe Employability Programme, a national initiative aimed at recruiting and deploying women in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) careers into startups and SMEs across Ghana.

The programme was launched as the second phase of the successful AGS–NSS Startup Employment Support Programme (2023–2025), which deployed National Service Personnel to startups and strengthened workforce capacity across Ghana’s growing Startup and Innovation ecosystems. The TechServe Employability Programme specifically focuses on bridging the gender gap in the technology sector by creating structured opportunities for female ICT graduates to gain practical startup experience while supporting startups with the skilled talent they need to scale.

Speaking at the launch, Solomon Adjei, President of the Association of Ghana Startups, emphasized the importance of empowering women in the digital economy. “Ghana has thousands of talented female ICT graduates who are eager to contribute to innovation and economic growth. At the same time, Startups and SMEs struggle to access skilled technical talent. TechServe bridges this gap by connecting women in tech with high-growth businesses where they can gain practical experience while driving innovation.”

Md. Eunice Adjei, the team lead WERise Network, key implementers of the DigiVibe project, lauded the initiative and pledged her total support to ensuring it succeeds to create the impact needed within the female employability sectors.

Addressing the gender gap in tech

Despite the rapid growth of the digital economy, women remain significantly underrepresented in technology-related careers. The TechServe programme seeks to change this by building Ghana’s largest pipeline of female tech talent for startups and innovation-driven companies. Through the programme, female National Service Personnel with backgrounds in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Data Science, and related disciplines will be recruited and deployed into Startups and SMEs where they will gain hands-on experience.

Programme structure

Participants in the TechServe Employability Programme will benefit from: structured recruitment and placement into startups, startup skills bootcamps, professional mentorship and career coaching, continuous capacity building through the DigiVibe digital learning portal, and performance monitoring and industry exposure.

Benefits for startups

Startups participating in the programme will gain access to highly motivated female ICT talent while reducing hiring costs and strengthening their technical capacity. The programme is expected to support product development, innovation, and operational scaling across participating startups.

University partnerships

To ensure a strong talent pipeline, AGS is partnering with leading universities across Ghana including: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, and Accra Technical University, among other selected institutions. These partnerships will facilitate recruitment of female ICT graduates and strengthen collaboration between academia and the startup ecosystem.

Programme targets

The TechServe Employability Programme aims to achieve the following targets in its initial phase: recruit at least 300 female graduates in ICT national service personnel; engage 100 startups across Ghana; partner with at least five universities; and mobilise 50 mentors from industry.

Call for collaboration

The Association of Ghana Startups is inviting corporate organisations, development partners, universities, and ecosystem stakeholders to support the initiative through sponsorship, mentorship, training, publicity, and leadership support for Student Startup Clubs. The TechServe Employability Programme represents a major step toward building a more inclusive and innovation-driven digital economy in Ghana.

The Association of Ghana Startups (AGS) is the national umbrella body representing Ghana’s startup ecosystem. The organisation works to support startups through capacity building, access to finance, policy advocacy, and international market access.

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