Job fair to boost youth employment, entrepreneurship slated for Friday
The E4Impact Foundation has partnered with Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore to launch the Italian Innovation Center and the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Entrepreneurship and Job Fair this Friday, March 27, 2026, at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
Funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the event forms a key component of the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Project—Implementing New Solutions for the Professional Integration of Human Resources in the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Ghana.
This initiative seeks to drive economic resilience by integrating youth, women, and persons with disabilities (PWDs) into the formal economy.
The I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Project, led by a consortium that includes Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, E4Impact Foundation, UPSA, CRISP Università di Milano-Bicocca, VIS Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo, and Don Bosco Youth Network West Africa, operates across five regions: Greater Accra, Ashanti, Northern, Bono, and Western.
Its goals are ambitious: creating 1,620 sustainable jobs, supporting the scaling of 570 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), and upskilling 4,615 young people through specialized Vocational Training Centers. The project addresses the gap between academic training and market demands, fostering practical skills for real-world employment.
The dual launch event positions the Italian Innovation Center as a vital hub for technology transfer and business collaborations between Ghana and Italy. Located at UPSA, it will promote Italian technologies, training programs, and innovation support to enhance SME growth and competitiveness.
Organisers describe the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. Entrepreneurship and Job Fair as a "high-octane marketplace for talent and technology." Highlights include:
An Entrepreneurship Pavilion showcasing innovations from startups led by alumni and students of the MBA in Impact Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Masterclasses on digital transformation and sustainable business models to equip participants for the global job market.
The day's schedule features a morning Visionary Leadership & Strategy session (8:30 AM – 12:00 PM) with a keynote on the I.N.S.P.I.R.E. vision, a plenary discussion on the future of work, and a startup showcase. The afternoon will shift to the career fair component.
Attendees can expect concrete benefits, such as direct interactions with hiring managers for internships and full-time roles, pitching business ideas to investors and mentors for feedback, networking with E4Impact and Ghanaian business stakeholders, and insights into applying Artificial Intelligence and sustainable practices in business.
The E4Impact Foundation, active in 20 African countries, focuses on entrepreneurship training, business accelerators, and development projects.
It has built a network of over 12,000 trained African entrepreneurs and facilitates partnerships between Italian and African companies to access new markets.
