Data analytics and AI expert Dr. Eugene Frimpong has urged Ghana’s youth particularly students studying computer science to include more practical technological skills such as generative AI, prompt engineering, and cybersecurity to stay competitive as artificial intelligence transforms the global job market.
In an interview, Dr. Frimpong said the rapid adoption of AI is changing employer expectations. Reports indicate that many recent computer science graduates are struggling to secure work despite formal qualifications. The problem, he suggested, lies in a gap between university curricula and the skills required in AI-driven industries.
“You don’t need to go to a university to learn AI. If you give yourself time and spend your data wisely, you can train yourself,” he said, encouraging young people to use online learning resources such as W3Schools and YouTube. He stressed that self-directed study can deliver market-ready skills more quickly than traditional programs.
Dr. Frimpong noted several growth areas: plant engineering, AI governance and ethics, data annotation and labeling, model fine-tuning, regression techniques and prompt engineering. “So long as we have an abundance of data, cybersecurity is going to be very important,” he added.
He warned against treating technology education as purely academic, saying that students must apply their learning to real-world problem solving. This approach, he argued, is essential for competing in a market where employers value adaptability and results over credentials.
Beyond individual learning, Dr. Frimpong said he hopes to support broader capacity building by offering free weekly or monthly live programs to share knowledge with a wider audience. With AI adoption accelerating, he said, Ghana’s workforce has an opportunity to move from being job seekers to job creators, if it invests in the right skills now.
