The German International Cooperation (GIZ) is seeking private-sector partnerships for a new artificial intelligence (AI) training programme aimed at equipping 120 tertiary graduates with practical skills to improve their employment prospects and help businesses increase productivity.The AI for Professionals programme will provide three months of hands-on training in four areas: AI for Creatives, AI for Business Intelligence and Data Analytics, AI for Software Development, and AI for E-commerce and Digital Marketing.The initiative forms part of GIZ’s Private Sector and Innovation Promotion in Ghana programme, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry to improve private-sector competitiveness and employment.Programme lead consultant, Dr Emmanuel Ahene, said AI proficiency would become increasingly important as businesses integrate the technology into their operations.“We believe that it’s very likely that in the future, most employers may hesitate to employ people without any AI skills,” he said.GIZ is therefore encouraging businesses to participate in designing the training by identifying skills gaps, contributing to the curriculum and providing real workplace challenges for participants to address.Companies are also being encouraged to consider recruiting graduates who successfully complete the programme.GIZ Head of Programme Arlett Stojanovic said the initiative would concentrate on helping businesses apply existing AI tools to improve their operations rather than developing new technologies.“Actually, where it might make a big difference is if you succeed in introducing it in the company to improve productivity,” she said.Participants will receive practical instruction and work on business-related challenges through projects they must complete before obtaining certification.The programme is particularly interested in agribusiness but will accept business challenges from other sectors, including the creative industry, software development, business intelligence and digital marketing.By involving employers in the training process, the initiative seeks to ensure participants acquire skills that respond to actual workplace needs.Applications for the first cohort of 120 participants are expected to open around October 29, 2026.Selection will be competitive, with particular emphasis on young people and women.The programme comes amid concerns about youth unemployment and skills gaps in Ghana, including the need to strengthen digital competencies and improve the productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises.Through the initiative, GIZ and its partners hope to connect tertiary graduates with practical AI skills that employers need while supporting businesses to adopt the technology to improve efficiency, competitiveness and growth.