With over 600 applications and 200 participating creatives and the top 20 of 200 who went on to receive mentorship support, we would like to thank AfriLabs and AFD through the Digital Africa seed fund for supporting this initiative.
Over 7 days, 200 selected creatives enrolled into four pathways including Product Management, Digital Marketing, Content Strategy & Creation, and Branding underwent workshop training in their pathways, soft skill training, skillshare and panel discussions on how to transition to and sustain careers in the tech industry.
The virtual learning series kicked off with the welcome session facilitated by Sam Otigba, a Business analyst who opened the minds of the creatives to the opportunities available for creatives in the tech industry and on starting and building careers in tech. Sam’s welcome address was followed by the soft skills training facilitated by Jobberman to equip the cohort with the necessary skills to navigate the workplace environment.
The 2-day pathway workshops were facilitated by our Faculty of top industry experts and professionals. We had Karen Onigbinde, Product Manager, Kuda who led the Product management Pathway, Onyeka Nwobu, Founder and Creative Director DBD Africa led the Branding Pathway and the Content Strategy & Creation Pathway, and Ebere Lisa, Founder, Digitech, led the Digital Marketing Pathway. The Pathway workshop sessions were highly engaging as the creatives learnt and gained new skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the tech industry along their respective creative fields.
After the workshops, the creatives attended the panel discussion facilitated by tech founders and a hiring manager; Wunmi Akinsola Founder, Fash tracker, Ebele Udoh, Founder, African Designers Mall and Ijeoma Anunibe, Head of People, Shuttlers to understand the desired qualities and skills a job candidate should possess to get hired. It was an interactive session as the creatives took the advantage to engage the panellists on best practices for starting out as creatives in tech and getting hired in their preferred organisation.Â
The final lap of the program was a skillshare session and a round table discussion by tech founders. The virtual interview techniques session (a Skillshare) was facilitated by George Mintah, Talent and Resource Lead at the Assembly Hub who took the creatives through tricks and techniques on how to ace virtual interviews. It was an enlightening session for the creatives as they learnt about possible mistakes to avoid when having a virtual interview and how best to prepare for and ace a virtual interview to get hired.
The roundtable discussion on How to Navigate Careers in Tech was facilitated by Hugo Obi, Founder, Maliyo games, Onyeka Nwobu, founder DBD Africa and Ameh Ujah, Digital Strategist. The facilitators shared insights into starting careers in tech as creatives and steps on how to build and sustain careers in tech such as having a vision, having a written roadmap with a timeline, creating a portfolio, getting work experience, understanding the space and immersing yourself in the culture, finding a mentor, Identifying the future job and understand the Job description to prepare yourself.Â
At the end of the 7-day virtual learning, the top 20 creatives were selected to receive a 1-month post programme support through one-to-one mentoring sessions with top industry experts from The Assembly’s Mentor advisory to help them in any areas they need further assistance.
It was a wholesome experience for both the creatives and the program Faculty as we had amazing feedback from the cohort. We had some of the creatives share with us their learning experience and the impact of the program which you can read here.
Words by Bukola Olaleye
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