By Patrick Biddah
The ecosystems economy has received a massive boost with the churning out of 12 fresh startup coaches to help further unearth the benefits in that sector.
The 12, who went through months of well researched professional training from September 2021 to September 2022, graduated on Thursday December 1, 2022 from the Ghana Tech Lab in Accra.
The maiden graduation ceremony, saw the successful graduates receive certifications ranging from the Bronze, Silver and Gold categories.
Five graduates received bronze certifications. This means they had a cumulative score of at least 70percent.
There were six silver certifications for those who finished with a cumulative score of at least 80percent, while the one female valedictorian graduated with gold certification, indicating she completed with a score of at least 90percent.
The Ecosystem Associate In- Charge of Women and Media at Ghana Tech Lab, Emelia Kuleke , in an address to open the ceremony, said Ghana Tech Lab provides the avenue for the Ghanaian youth to discover their potentials and develop their business.
“We offer courses in business development in order to ensure that Start-ups across the country are nurtured with the right resources and scale–up through our coach house,” she stated.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Director of the Startup Coach School, Naa Adjeikai Adjei, indicated that the graduates were trained on five modules .
These modules, she emphasized has equipped the coaches to be able to provide business support services that will match the needs of entrepreneurs.
This, she explained is to prevent the situation where many small businesses and startups which sprung up out of government and private organizations could not survive.
With the rise in the several startup innovation with 27 being patterns to the Ghana Tech Laband their founders seeking innovation and business modeling , Ms. Adjeikai Adjei, intimated that the Ghana Startup Coach school was instituted to response to the need to the standardized training for business development professionals.
“ The Ghana Startup Coach school training and curriculum experience is designed to enable the effective transfer of knowledge and needed skills in the course areas”, she stressed.
The visibly elated Director , urged the graduates to look forward to considering the future where they would adequately impact the lives of Ghanaian startup in the ecosystems including the Small and Medium Enterprises ( SME).
Without doubt ,she acknowledged that Ghana needs a better economy and is already on its way of being ranked among the ‘ Big4 ‘ of technology ecosystems in Africa according to a Linked In news Africa report.
That notwithstanding, she said the freeze on recruitment into the public sector in 2023 which was announced by the government in the last budget statement to Parliament will lead to a rise in the unemployment rate in the country .
She therefore expressed the hope that many people will response by becoming entrepreneurs and opening enterprises.
It is in the view of this , she said the the sector needs these new coaches more than ever, noting that she feels more confident and relaxed knowing that they will continue to be at the centre of exceptional businesses and startups for the present generation and sustainable for the next .
“ We need Startup and businesses which are creative, innovative and which will survive future generations. We need Startup founders now who are long-term , home-centre approach to developing solutions and building products that are scalable beyond the Ghanaian market “ she pointed out .
