A career development outreach, “After SHS, What Next?”, organized by the PK Amoabeng Leadership Foundation and its partners, reached about 8,000 senior high school students across five schools in Ghana’s Eastern Region, pointing to growing demand for entrepreneurship, financial literacy and sustained career mentorship as students prepare for life after secondary school.
The week-long school tour, held from July 6 to July 10 across Akuapem North and Akuapem South, delivered sessions on mindset development, confidence and assertiveness, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, digital literacy, health and wellbeing, and career guidance.
According to a rapporteur summary report, students were most engaged during sessions on entrepreneurship, financial capability and confidence building, with participants and facilitators emphasizing the need for structured, long-term mentorship programmes to complement classroom learning.
Attendance at the five participating schools included approximately 1200 students at Okuapeman Senior High School, 2,500 at Aburi Girls’ Senior High School, 2,000 at Mampong Presbyterian Senior High School, 900 at Nifa Senior High School, and 2,500 at Mamfe Methodist Girls’ Senior High School.
The outreach featured presentations from business leaders and professionals, led by Captain (Rtd) Prince Kofi Amoabeng, Founder of the PK Amoabeng Leadership Foundation, who shared his journey from military service to entrepreneurship and encouraged students to pursue opportunities beyond their immediate circumstances.
Other speakers included Francis Dogbatse, Director at Jetlink; Roland Ohene Amoako, Who spoke to students on digital literacy; Dr Pascal Brenya, a global human capital expert; Dr Prince Amoabeng Aggrey, a medical doctor; Dr Darlene Dapaah, a medical doctor; Lawyer Yaw Sompa, Founder and Managing Partner of Sompa & Partners; and Dr Tracy Mallen-Ntiador, Co-Executive Director for Research at Women in Philanthropy Ghana (WIP-Ghana).
The programme also featured Frederick Mattey ‘Kula’, popularly known as the Headless YouTuber, who spoke on responsible social media use; and Sarfoa Boahene and Lawrencia Awuku of Women in Philanthropy Ghana (WIP-Ghana). Entrepreneurship sessions encouraged students to identify opportunities by solving real-world problems and creating value, while financial literacy discussions focused on budgeting, saving, investing and building long-term financial discipline.
Digital literacy sessions emphasized responsible social media use, digital identity and personal branding, while health and wellbeing presentations addressed mental health, sexual and reproductive health, and the importance of utilizing available healthcare services.
Career guidance sessions exposed students to opportunities in accounting, agriculture, technology, entrepreneurship and the creative industries, prompting discussions on agritech, architecture, law, app development and other emerging career paths.
Across all five schools, recurring themes included effective time management, self-confidence, entrepreneurship as a problem-solving mindset, financial literacy and responsible digital citizenship.
Student participation remained consistently high throughout the programme. Rapporteurs described audiences as “excited”, “interactive” and “pumped up”, particularly during the confidence and assertiveness sessions, while entrepreneurship and financial literacy workshops generated strong engagement and practical discussions.
The report also pointed to a growing appetite among students for practical career support beyond motivational talks. Participants and facilitators recommended incorporating public speaking and leadership development into school curricula to help students build confidence and communication skills.
One of the key recommendations from rapporteurs was the establishment of structured mentorship programmes that extend beyond periodic school outreach events.
Additional recommendations included expanding experiential learning opportunities, strengthening career guidance services in schools, and providing students with internship and industrial attachment opportunities during vacation periods.
Volunteers who participated in the outreach said one of the programme’s biggest takeaways was that while inspirational talks remain important, students increasingly want practical skills, professional exposure and sustained mentorship to help them transition successfully into higher education, entrepreneurship and employment in Ghana’s evolving economy.
Some partners included INME Global, ACCA Ghana, the Odwira planning committee – 200 years celebration, Sompa &Parteners,TII Foundation Ghana and the Ghana Education Service, Eastern Region.
