Building the future of food in Ghana

A report from our Food Career Fair!

The Youth in Food Program is a practical and interactive mentorship program that supports unemployed tertiary graduates to land jobs in the food and agric sector in Ghana. They receive employability skills, resources and network opportunities.

Getting a job in Ghana is not easy as it seems. At the same time, food and agric companies also face various challenges with finding skilled talents.

To bridge this gap and to connect companies and job seekers, Youth in Food Program organised the Food Career Fair in Accra at Alliance France. The main goal was to connect 150 pre-selected job seekers with over 30 innovative food and agric companies.

The youth had the opportunity to find job openings at the Forest of Job Opportunities, learn more about their online presence at the LinkedIn Workshop, and they received all their answers at the Meet the CEO’S & Inspirational sessions. Last but not least they presented themselves at the Company Exhibitions, learned more about food trends during the Panel Discussion and took their chance to find a good advisor during Meet the Mentor, that would accompany them for the next 6 months during their job search.

There is demand on both sides

The Forest of Job Opportunities was one of the creative pieces of the fair where 50+ job openings and descriptions were written on cardboard papers and hung on various tree branches. The job seekers were definitely intrigued as they took keen interest in the available job openings by the companies present.

After picking the preferred job openings, the youth went ahead to engage with all the companies looking for talents to further understand the job roles and qualifications.

The job seekers applied for the job openings they were better suited for and handed in their CVs and cover letters - Yes, they came prepared!

Speaking with a team member of KDHI Agriculture present at the career fair, Abdul Wahid stated that the company was looking to hire 9 individuals to fill their field officers, logistics officers, accounting assistant, admin/HR and warehouse manager assistant positions and they received over 50 applications from the youth.

Moving forward he says, the team will go through the list of applications received and would reach back to 9 individuals that best fit the opened positions.

Meet the Mentor

The youth had the opportunity to book mentorship slots to engage with our trained mentors who supported these youth with their job search questions. The mentors also provided feedback and tips on CV and cover letter writing.

“At the Youth in Food Program Career Fair, I joined 11 fellow mentors in offering 15-minute sessions to inspire and guide future food leaders. The enthusiasm and gratitude from these young professionals exceeded my expectations as we shared resume tips, provided personalised advice, and explored career opportunities that matched their aspirations. It was a rewarding day of mentorship, with our mentor area fully booked and a shared commitment to nurturing the industry's next generation” - Racheal Owusu, YFP Mentor.

Trends and Careers in Ghana’s Food System

The interactive panel discussion on trends and career opportunities in Ghana’s food system with sector experts and a YFP alumni was the heart of the event as the youth had first hand knowledge and insights about the job world, its challenges and opportunities.

“The main panel discussion with Famerline, the Food and Agriculture Organization, Cowtribe and an alumni of the program, Taufic, was an insightful and open conversation about trends in Ghana’s food system and the role of youth. Taufic shared his personal challenges and learnings everyone could familiarise with. Peter Awin, CEO of Cowtribe, recognised his own challenges in him and right there on stage, Taufic received job offers from 2 companies! This shows me that we all go through the same things and as we open up conversations, it leads to better connections” - Pauline Lingg, Program Advisor - Youth in Food Program.

Reporting live from the premises of Alliance Francaise: my name is Hajaratu Ayuba, Communications and Community Coordinator at YFP. See you and your company in our next Career Fair.

Together, let’s continue to build the future of food in Ghana!