US-based sports charity foundation, Soccer for Dreamers, will roll out the pilot phase of its Ubuntu Online Academy initiative on February 2024.

The initiative is aimed at equipping young footballers in the country with the requisite tools and skill set for employment prospects or entrepreneurship, and bridge the gap between employers and footballers and equip the latter with the essentials requiredin order to thrive well in the corporate world, entrepreneurship, and the job market.

Players from the Women's Premier and Division One leagues as well as male juvenile players, third and second divisions as well as Division One players and others are set to be the initial beneficiaries.

Speaking after a round table discussion organised on Tuesday to seek opinions of business owners, CEOs of corporate organisations, and NGOs among others on hiring in the current environment and how Ubuntu can bridge the gap, Madam Sylvia Ak¬waboah, President of the Foundation, expressed satisfaction at the progress made so far.

"Since the launch, we have had various engagements with key stakeholders and today is the turn of the business owners and the key persons with the authority to employ. Their inputs will come in handy to help shape the Academy with regard to recruitment."

According to her since conceiving the idea, there have been a lot more approaches from persons from other sectors demanding to be roped in.

"The problem of youth unemployment has reached a crisis stage, with millions of young individuals worldwide struggling to secure stable employment due to insufficient knowledge of what employers are looking for."

Finally, she disclosed that the Academy will be opened to accommodate the youth from other sectors in Ghana and across Africa, to reach at least 20,000 youth by the end of next year.

The Foundation is currently recruiting and training 200 young volunteers to propagate the message of the Academy to the youth.