Don't wait for a job. Build one.
A guided programme for students, national service personnel and graduates. Learn in short courses, do the work in your own business at every stage, get it reviewed by a mentor, and get help from GEA to register and grow.
Too many young people are at home, waiting for a job that may not come.
You studied, you served, you applied. The jobs are fewer than the people who want them, and neither government nor the big employers can take everyone. The LaunchPad is for young people who are ready to stop waiting and start something of their own.
It is not just courses. At every stage you do real work in your own business, a mentor reviews it, and GEA helps you register and grow. We will be honest with you: business is hard work and not every idea succeeds. You finish with real customers, not just a certificate.
Who it is for
- Students who want something running before they graduate
- National service personnel planning what comes after service
- Graduates at home who are tired of waiting for call-backs
- Young people in our sponsors' communities including mining and oil and gas areas, selected through GEA centres
Five stages. Learn, do, and get reviewed.
You move forward by showing evidence of what you have done, not by watching videos.
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1Decide
Is business for me?
Find out what running a business really demands, what you are good at, and whether to start part-time or full-time.
Your mentor reviewsA completed self-assessment and a chosen direction -
2Find
An idea people will pay for
Spot real problems around you, pick ideas you can start with little capital, and test demand in a week.
Your mentor reviewsNotes from ten conversations with possible customers -
3Start
Your first sale in 30 days
Make your first sales with what you have. Learn pricing, mobile money payments and how to treat your first customers.
Your mentor reviewsProof of your first sales -
4Run
Run it like a business
Plan the business, market it and keep proper records, so you know whether you are making money.
Your mentor reviewsOne month of business records -
5Grow
Grow and get funded
Tighten your operations, track your results, register the business and apply for funding.
Your mentor reviewsA registered business or a funding application
More than a course
Nine practical courses
Short lessons, real Ghanaian examples, interactive activities and quizzes that test your judgement.
Real work at every stage
You do the work in your own business and submit it on the platform: your idea assessment, your first sales, a month of records.
A mentor from your sponsor
Your mentor reads your work, approves it or sends it back with advice, and answers your questions as you go.
GEA on your side
Your nearest GEA Business Advisory Centre or Business Resource Centre helps you register your business and certify your products.
Support when you ask
At each stage you say what you need, from finance to marketing, and the right person follows it up.
A certificate that means something
Issued only when your mentor has approved every stage, and verifiable online by anyone.
Four partners, one job each
Nobody is asked to do what they are not set up to do.
Sponsors
Pay for places for young people, often in their own communities, and provide mentors who join on the same code as the people they support.
Ghana Enterprises Agency
Selects participants with sponsors through its BACs and BRCs, supports business registration and product certification, and works with mentors as businesses grow.
Mentors
Review the work at each stage, give honest advice and stay with the business as it grows.
SkillsPillar
Runs the courses and the platform where work, reviews, feedback and support requests come together, and reports results to sponsors and GEA.
All nine courses, your mentor, GEA support and your certificate.
Register free and start Stage 1 today
Registration is free. Stage 1, "Is business for me?", opens as soon as you register. When a sponsor pays for places in your district, people who have finished Stage 1 are offered places first.
Prefer not to wait for a sponsor? Pay for the full programme and start all five stages now
Fund businesses that start, and watch them grow.
The LaunchPad is built for organisations that want to see businesses start, not just people trained. Every stage ends with real work reviewed by a mentor, and you can follow the people you sponsor as they go.
What your sponsorship does
For the young people
- A real business with paying customers, not just another certificate
- A mentor who reads their work and tells them the truth about it
- Practical skills in pricing, record-keeping and selling that stay with them for life
- Help from GEA to register the business and reach finance
For Ghana
- Young people creating work for themselves, and often for others, instead of waiting for jobs that are not there
- More businesses registered and formalised through GEA, adding to the tax base
- Local enterprises that can supply your operations and communities
- Measured results by sex, age, region and disability, so the impact can be shown, not assumed
For your organisation
- Your logo on this page, sized by sponsorship tier, and in the preview whenever the page is shared
- Your name on the dashboard of every young person you sponsor, and on their certificates
- A named cohort, with stories and photos you can use in your own communications
- Impact reports ready for your CSR, ESG and annual reports, and evidence for your social licence to operate
How it works for sponsors
- Your own cohort. Places issued under your name, with a fixed number of seats
- Your people as mentors. Mentors join on your code and review the work of the people you sponsor
- Selection through GEA. Candidates chosen with GEA's Business Advisory Centres and Business Resource Centres
- A live view. See each stage, the work submitted and the support requested, as it happens
- Results by group. Broken down by sex, age, region and disability, with follow-up at 6 and 12 months
Talk to us about a cohort
Before you join
Who can join?
Students, national service personnel and young graduates who want to start a business, including young people in the communities where our sponsors work, such as mining and oil and gas areas.
Who chooses the participants?
Sponsors and the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) select participants together through GEA's Business Advisory Centres (BACs) and Business Resource Centres (BRCs). You can also register your interest on this page.
How much does it cost?
The full programme is valued at the price shown on this page. Most places are paid for by sponsors, so you may pay nothing. If you have a sponsor code, enter it on this page.
Is it just online courses?
No. At every stage you take short courses, then do real work in your own business and submit it on the platform: your idea assessment, your first sales, a month of records. Your mentor reviews it and helps you improve.
Who will support me?
A mentor from your sponsor reviews your work and advises you. Your nearest BAC or BRC helps you register your business, certify your products and grow. You can ask for support at every stage.
Do I need a business idea before I join?
No. The first two stages help you decide whether business is right for you and find an idea that people will pay for.
Do I need money to start?
Very little. The programme is built around businesses you can start with what you already have. The Start stage shows you how to make a first sale before spending on stock or equipment.
Can I do it on my phone?
Yes. Lessons are short and work on a basic smartphone with a small data budget. You can upload a phone photo as proof of your work.
What do I get at the end?
A certificate you can verify online, issued when every stage is approved, and a business with real customers and records.