Bridging the Skills Gap in the Era of Twin Transition: Perspectives from Employers in Sub-Saharan Africa

The global landscape of work and education is being rapidly transformed by the convergence of two defining forces of the twenty-first century: digitalization and the sustainability imperative. Together, these interlinked processes often described as the Twin Transition are reshaping labour markets, redefining skill requirements, and compelling higher education institutions (HEIs) to reform their pedagogical, institutional, and partnership models (OECD, 2020; UNESCO, 2023). As automation, artificial intelligence, and climate adaptation reshape economies, the demand for digitally fluent and sustainability-conscious graduates has never been greater.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, this urgency is particularly pronounced. The region faces uneven technological infrastructure, exposure to climate risks, and a pressing need to convert its youthful demographic into a productive and future-ready workforce (World Bank, 2022). Yet many African HEIs remain constrained by traditional, discipline-specific curricula that insufficiently reflect the cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary competencies required for the digital and green transitions (Mulder et al., 2022; Banga & te Velde, 2022). This misalignment between academic training and labour market realities threatens to widen the skills gap, limit employability, and slow progress toward sustainable development.

Higher education plays a pivotal role in bridging this divide. By embedding digital and sustainability literacy across programmes, universities can cultivate graduates equipped to navigate complex systems, innovate across disciplines, and drive inclusive growth. However, institutional readiness depends not only on curricular reform but also on understanding employer expectations—what competencies industries actually demand in this era of transformation (ILO, 2021; OECD, 2023).

Against this backdrop, the present study, conducted under the European Union–funded ERASMUS+ TeProD project, investigates the employer perspectives that shape graduate employability in the context of the twin transition in Ghana.

Specifically, the research seeks to address two guiding questions:

1. How do employers across diverse sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa assess the preparedness of university graduates for the twin transition, particularly regarding digital competencies and sustainability-related skills? This question explores employer evaluations of graduate readiness, focusing on both generic and sector-specific capabilities essential for digital and green workforce participation.
   
2. What are the perceived gaps between higher education curricula and labour market expectations concerning the cross-disciplinary skills required for the digital and green transition? This question examines structural and pedagogical mismatches between academic programmes and real-world demands, providing evidence for systemic curriculum reform and partnership-based innovation.

By addressing these questions, the study contributes to the growing discourse on how African HEIs can realign education and training systems with evolving industry expectations. It underscores the need for curriculum innovation, experiential learning, and multi-stakeholder collaboration to prepare graduates who are not only employable but also capable of driving sustainable transformation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era.

The Concept of Twin Transition

The twin transition — the integration of digital transformation and sustainability — represents a paradigm shift in how societies, economies, and institutions adapt to 21st-century challenges (European Commission, 2022; OECD, 2023). Digitalization encompasses the widespread adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and cloud computing to enhance productivity and innovation (Redecker et al., 2020). Sustainability, on the other hand, emphasizes environmental stewardship, social inclusion, and long-term economic resilience (UNESCO, 2023). The twin transition thus captures the interdependence between technological progress and ecological responsibility — two forces increasingly shaping global competitiveness and labour market transformation (ILO, 2021; García-Holgado et al., 2020).

In higher education, the twin transition demands that institutions reimagine curricula, governance, and pedagogy to produce graduates capable of navigating both digital and green economies. Universities in Europe and Asia are increasingly integrating sustainability principles into digital education strategies, recognizing that technological innovation must advance environmental and social goals simultaneously (Lozano et al., 2019; Redecker et al., 2020). However, in much of Sub-Saharan Africa, the two transitions have evolved in parallel rather than in synergy, resulting in fragmented institutional strategies and inconsistent capacity building (Ndung’u & Signé, 2020; Banga & te Velde, 2022).

Global labour markets are undergoing rapid reconfiguration under the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), which combines digitalization, automation, and sustainability imperatives (World Bank, 2022). The World Economic Forum (2023) estimates that over 40% of core job skills will change by 2027, requiring a new blend of cognitive, digital, and socio-emotional competencies. Employers increasingly value adaptive learning, systems thinking, data literacy, and sustainability awareness — skills that enable workers to navigate uncertainty and complex technological systems (OECD, 2023; ILO, 2021).

Yet, the global education-to-employment pipeline remains misaligned. Studies across Europe, Asia, and Africa reveal persistent gaps between graduate attributes and industry expectations, especially in emerging fields such as renewable energy, green finance, AI applications, and sustainable production (Alam & Forhad, 2021; Mulder et al., 2022). Employers emphasize the need for cross-disciplinary problem-solving that integrates digital literacy with environmental consciousness, reflecting a shift from specialization to holistic competence (García-Holgado et al., 2020).

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the challenge of aligning higher education with evolving labour market needs is compounded by infrastructural deficits, outdated curricula, and limited industry partnerships (Boateng & Essel, 2021; Adarkwah, 2021). Many HEIs continue to emphasize theoretical instruction over experiential learning, resulting in graduates who are conceptually informed but practically underprepared (Mensah et al., 2022). Moreover, weak collaboration between universities and employers undermines feedback loops essential for curriculum renewal and skills forecasting (Osei, 2022).

Despite these challenges, regional initiatives — such as the African Union’s Continental Education Strategy (CESA 2025) and ERASMUS+ projects — have encouraged competency-based, inclusive education models that promote employability and innovation (UNESCO, 2022). However, implementation remains uneven due to fragmented policy coordination and the absence of robust monitoring frameworks (Ndung’u & Signé, 2020). The result is a widening “skills gap” where graduates possess academic credentials but lack hands-on expertise in digital and sustainability-driven sectors such as health informatics, green construction, and renewable energy (World Bank, 2022).

Employers play a pivotal role in shaping graduate employability by defining the skills and behaviours required in rapidly changing industries. Research indicates that employers across both developed and developing economies are seeking graduates who can demonstrate technological adaptability, ethical awareness, and sustainability literacy (OECD, 2023; ILO, 2021). Yet, employer engagement in curriculum development remains limited across African HEIs. Studies in Ghana and Nigeria, for example, show that most universities rely on ad hoc consultations rather than institutionalized mechanisms for integrating industry feedback into programme design (Boateng & Essel, 2020; Osei, 2022).

Emerging evidence suggests that employers perceive a significant disconnect between academic instruction and workplace realities, particularly in fields requiring digital innovation and sustainability integration (Adarkwah, 2021; Alam & Forhad, 2021). Graduates are often equipped with general ICT proficiency but lack advanced, context-specific skills such as AI-assisted analytics, green project management, and digital ethics. These gaps reflect both systemic inertia within higher education and the absence of co-designed learning ecosystems where academia, government, and industry co-create solutions to workforce challenges (García-Holgado et al., 2020).

This study adopts an ecosystem readiness framework to analyze how higher education systems respond to the twin transition. Ecosystem readiness refers to the collective ability of institutional actors — university leaders, faculty, students, and employers — to align strategy, resources, and competencies toward innovation and sustainability (European Commission, 2022; Redecker et al., 2020).

Within this framework, readiness is assessed across four interrelated dimensions:

1. Strategic readiness (policy and governance alignment),
2. Technological readiness (infrastructure and digital systems),
3. Pedagogical readiness (curriculum and teaching innovation), and
4. Collaborative readiness (partnerships and stakeholder engagement).

Applying this lens to the Ghanaian context provides a holistic understanding of how HEIs and employers perceive the changing nature of work. It moves beyond individual skills to explore the systemic conditions required for Africa’s universities to thrive in a digital and sustainable economy.

Methodology

This study adopted a qualitative exploratory design to capture nuanced employer perspectives on graduate preparedness for the twin transition in Ghana. Qualitative methods were chosen for their ability to generate in-depth insights into the contextual, attitudinal, and institutional factors shaping employer expectations (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). The exploratory design allowed the researchers to examine emerging and under-researched phenomena — specifically, how employers interpret digital and sustainability-related competencies within the evolving labour market.

The research was conducted in Winneba, Ghana, a rapidly developing academic and administrative hub that hosts several tertiary institutions, including the University of Education, Winneba (UEW). Winneba provides a representative context for studying higher education–industry linkages in a mid-sized African economy balancing educational expansion with industrial diversification. The focus on Ghana aligns with regional priorities under the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and national policies promoting digital innovation and green growth in education and employment (Ministry of Education, 2023).

Participants were selected using purposive sampling, targeting employers directly involved in recruiting, training, or supervising university graduates. Between January and March 2025, the study engaged ten (10) employers representing seven sectors: Healthcare, Education, Finance, Energy, Hospitality, Media and Public Administration. This cross-sectoral representation ensured diversity of perspectives across industries with varying exposure to digitalization and sustainability imperatives. Participants held positions such as human resource managers, technical supervisors, training coordinators, and directors of operations, roles that provided insight into both hiring expectations and skill performance in practice.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, guided by an interview protocol developed from the literature on digital and green transitions in higher education (ILO, 2021; OECD, 2023). Questions explored four main areas: employers’ perceptions of current workforce competencies among university graduates, observed skill gaps in digital literacy and sustainability awareness, the extent of digital and green integration within workplace practices, and employers’ experiences with and expectations of university–industry collaboration. Each interview lasted 45–60 minutes and was conducted in person or via online platforms depending on participant availability. All interviews were audio-recorded with consent, transcribed verbatim, and anonymized to protect confidentiality.

The data were analyzed thematically using NVivo 14 software following the framework proposed by Braun and Clarke (2021). Analysis proceeded through six iterative steps: familiarization with the transcripts, generation of initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes across sectors, refining and naming overarching and sector-specific themes, and synthesizing findings into analytical narratives. Themes were categorized into two major domains: cross-sectoral insights, reflecting common trends in employer expectations; and sector-specific competencies, highlighting unique skill demands within industries such as renewable energy, green finance, and digital education. Triangulation was achieved by comparing findings across sectors and validating emerging themes against existing policy and literature (Creswell, 2018). Reflexivity and peer debriefing were used to enhance credibility and dependability.

Ethical Considerations

Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Education, Winneba Research Ethics Board (Ref. No: UEW/REB/2025/01). Participation was voluntary, and all respondents provided informed consent prior to interviews. Data confidentiality was maintained by anonymizing participant details, and digital recordings were securely stored in encrypted files accessible only to the research team. The study adhered to the ethical principles of respect, beneficence, and confidentiality as outlined in the UEW ethics guidelines and the Belmont Report (1979).

Results

Common Themes

Across all seven sectors, employers consistently emphasized that university graduates demonstrated strong theoretical grounding but faced significant challenges in translating academic knowledge into dynamic, real-world contexts. This gap was attributed to limited exposure to applied learning, inadequate industry–university collaboration, and outdated pedagogical approaches.

Four skill domains emerged as the most frequently cited deficiencies. One, employers reported that graduates often relied on rote learning and struggled to apply analytical reasoning in unpredictable or cross-disciplinary situations. Two, rapidly evolving work environments, especially those influenced by automation and sustainability standards require flexibility and creative thinking that many graduates lacked. Three, while basic ICT literacy was common, proficiency in advanced digital systems, AI-assisted tools, and data analytics remained limited. Four, employers noted a widespread lack of understanding of sustainable business practices, green production systems, and climate-conscious workplace behaviour. These findings echo broader global assessments that highlight the need for HEIs to embed green–digital competencies across curricula to enhance employability and resilience (UNESCO-UNEVOC, 2021; OECD, 2023).

Sector-Specific Insights

Healthcare
Employers in the healthcare sector highlighted that graduates were familiar with electronic health records (EHRs) and basic data entry systems but lacked understanding of advanced health informatics, AI-assisted diagnostics, and sustainable healthcare design. Few had exposure to green hospital operations, such as waste minimization or energy-efficient equipment use. As a result, institutions often had to invest heavily in on-the-job digital retraining.

Education
While many education-sector employers acknowledged that graduates possessed baseline digital literacy, they were often ill-prepared to implement blended learning models or utilize educational technologies effectively. Weaknesses were also observed in integrating sustainability themes into teaching content and classroom management. Employers called for training that merges digital pedagogy with environmental consciousness, aligning with UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework.

Finance
Employers in finance praised graduates’ theoretical understanding of digital finance and financial technology (FinTech) but cited deficiencies in green finance instruments, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting, and cybersecurity risk management. The sector increasingly demands professionals who can apply digital solutions to sustainable investment and climate finance competencies rarely cultivated in university curricula.

Energy
Within the energy sector, a major concern was graduates’ limited familiarity with renewable energy systems, smart grids, and automation technologies. Employers reported that while graduates understood traditional power generation principles, they lacked practical knowledge of digital monitoring systems such as SCADA, and were underexposed to sustainable energy optimization practices critical for Ghana’s energy transition.

Hospitality
Employers in hospitality identified gaps in digital inventory management, eco-tourism strategy development, and sustainable waste management. While graduates demonstrated good interpersonal and service skills, their awareness of environmentally responsible operations — such as water conservation and green procurement — was minimal. This mismatch limits their employability in emerging “green hospitality” enterprises.

Media
The media sector presented a contrasting yet complementary pattern. Employers valued graduates’ creativity but emphasized a shortage of skills in data analytics for audience engagement, AI-driven content generation, and sustainable media production workflows. The rapid digitalization of communication industries demands professionals who can balance innovation with ethical and environmental considerations, a balance still missing in most training programs.

Public Administration
In public administration, graduates displayed sound theoretical knowledge of governance, public policy, and administrative procedures. However, their competence in digital service delivery, e-governance tools, and environmental impact assessment was limited. Employers recommended stronger integration of digital public management and green policy frameworks in public sector education to enhance administrative efficiency and sustainability outcomes.

Taken together, the sectoral findings reveal a systemic disconnect between higher education curricula and industry expectations. While digital literacy is gradually improving, the integration of sustainability and cross-disciplinary problem-solving remains weak. Employers across all industries expressed the need for experiential learning opportunities, industry-tailored internships, and curriculum co-design mechanisms to bridge academic preparation with workplace realities. The consistency of these themes across diverse sectors underscores the broader challenge of institutional readiness for the twin transition in Sub-Saharan Africa where universities must not only expand digital infrastructure but also embed sustainability as a core pedagogical value.

Discussion

The findings underscore a clear disconnect between higher education outputs and labour market expectations in Ghana, a pattern consistent with evidence across Sub-Saharan Africa (Boateng & Essel, 2021; Adarkwah, 2021). Although graduates demonstrate theoretical proficiency, employers consistently highlight deficiencies in applied, digital, and sustainability-oriented skills. This gap reflects a broader structural lag between academic instruction and the evolving demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and green economy (OECD, 2023; ILO, 2021).

The twin transition demands a hybrid skill set thus, combining digital fluency, systems thinking, ethical awareness, and environmental responsibility. Yet, as the results show, Ghanaian HEIs have not sufficiently integrated these domains into teaching and learning frameworks. The limited exposure to AI applications, green finance tools, and renewable systems demonstrates how institutional inertia constrains curriculum responsiveness. The persistence of disciplinary silos further impedes students’ ability to apply knowledge across technological and ecological contexts.

Across sectors, the study reveals a pattern of converging skill needs despite contextual differences. Whether in finance, healthcare, or energy, employers emphasized digital adaptability and sustainability awareness as foundational employability traits. These findings resonate with global projections that future work will rely increasingly on transversal competencies, skills transferable across disciplines and industries (World Economic Forum, 2023; Redecker et al., 2020).

However, the sectoral nuances provide important insights for policy and curriculum design. The healthcare and energy sectors highlight the need for digital system integration (AI diagnostics, smart grids) aligned with environmental ethics. Finance and hospitality point to the demand for ESG literacy and sustainable business models. Education and media stress pedagogical innovation and responsible digital content creation. Together, these patterns suggest that employer expectations are not merely sector-specific but ecosystemic — calling for universities to embed digital–green competencies throughout all disciplines. The gap between institutional policy and pedagogical practice remains one of the most significant barriers to achieving the twin transition in higher education. As other studies have noted, African universities often articulate digital transformation and sustainability goals in their strategic plans but fail to translate them into actionable curriculum frameworks and teaching innovations (Banga & te Velde, 2022; Mensah et al., 2022).

Findings from this study reaffirm that policy alignment must be complemented by faculty development and infrastructure investment. Without adequate digital tools, energy-efficient learning spaces, and ongoing professional training, instructors cannot model the very competencies expected of graduates. Moreover, HEIs must institutionalize employer engagement mechanisms — such as advisory boards, co-taught modules, and internship pipelines — to ensure curricula remain relevant and responsive. Embedding green-digital pedagogy requires more than content updates; it calls for a shift in academic culture. Faculty need structured opportunities for continuous professional development in AI, data analytics, sustainability frameworks, and digital ethics. Universities that integrate such competencies within staff appraisal and promotion systems—following models such as the DigCompEdu framework (Redecker et al., 2020) — are more likely to sustain transformation.

Employers are not passive consumers of university output but active partners in human capital development. The results reveal that Ghanaian employers are aware of their role in shaping the skill ecosystem but are seldom invited into formal curriculum design or assessment processes. This reflects a historical disconnection between academia and industry across the region (Osei, 2022). To bridge this gap, higher education institutions must move toward co-creation models, where employers participate in defining competencies, designing practical modules, and offering real-world learning environments. Initiatives such as work-integrated learning (WIL), dual apprenticeship models, and industry-led capstone projects can create sustained feedback loops that strengthen curriculum relevance. Such approaches not only enhance graduate employability but also embed a culture of continuous innovation and mutual accountability between academia and industry.

Implications for Policy and Practice

The findings of this study carry several implications for both institutional and national policy frameworks. Universities must adopt an integrated “twin transition” strategy that links digital transformation directly with sustainability outcomes — moving from parallel agendas to a unified vision. Academic programmes should mainstream digital sustainability literacy, ensuring that every graduate, regardless of discipline, possesses basic competencies in climate adaptation, ethical technology use, and systems innovation. Investment in digital pedagogy and sustainability training should become mandatory, supported by certification schemes and incentive structures. Governments and funding agencies should incentivize university–industry collaborations through tax reliefs, grants, and innovation hubs focusing on green–digital solutions. Institutional scorecards and accreditation frameworks should assess not only academic outcomes but also digital readiness and sustainability integration.

In essence, the twin transition offers African higher education a historic opportunity to redefine its developmental mandate. Ghanaian HEIs, exemplified by the findings of this study, are at an inflection point aware of the challenges yet still operating within outdated systems. To bridge the skills gap effectively, they must align leadership vision, faculty competence, infrastructure investment, and employer collaboration within a cohesive transformation agenda. As the labour market continues to evolve under digital and environmental pressures, only institutions that cultivate digitally agile, sustainability-minded graduates will remain relevant. The twin transition thus serves not merely as a policy aspiration but as a strategic necessity for educational resilience, economic competitiveness, and inclusive growth in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Conclusion

The study reveals that the twin transition — the convergence of digital transformation and sustainability — is redefining labour market expectations globally and regionally, yet higher education institutions (HEIs) in Sub-Saharan Africa remain inadequately equipped to meet these evolving demands. Evidence from Ghana indicates that while graduates demonstrate solid theoretical foundations, they lack applied competencies in digital fluency, sustainability literacy, and adaptive problem-solving. Employers across multiple sectors — ranging from healthcare and energy to finance and public administration — echoed the same concern: universities are producing knowledgeable graduates who are underprepared for the realities of digitally enabled, sustainability-driven workplaces.

The implications extend beyond employability. This skills gap threatens the region’s ability to harness digital technologies and sustainable practices for national development. It highlights the need for HEIs to move beyond discipline-specific instruction toward interdisciplinary, competency-based, and industry-informed education. The study contributes to emerging scholarship on ecosystem readiness by demonstrating that effective twin transition requires the alignment of strategic intent, pedagogical innovation, and external partnerships. Without such alignment, HEIs risk reinforcing existing inequities and missing the transformative potential of digital and green economies.

Recommendations

Universities must embed the twin transition agenda within their core strategic plans and quality assurance frameworks. Institutional leadership should establish dedicated offices or directorates for digital and sustainable transformation to coordinate cross-faculty initiatives and monitor measurable progress. Policy statements must evolve into actionable roadmaps supported by transparent performance indicators. Curricula should integrate digital sustainability literacy across all disciplines, enabling students to connect technological innovation with environmental stewardship. Project-based learning, simulations, and community-based digital–green projects should replace passive, exam-oriented learning. Universities should collaborate with industry to co-design modular micro-credentials in areas such as renewable energy, AI ethics, green finance, and sustainable business management.

The professional development of faculty is central to achieving systemic transformation. Continuous professional development (CPD) programmes should focus on AI-assisted teaching, blended learning, sustainability education, and data analytics for pedagogy. Incentive schemes and recognition awards can motivate lecturers who pioneer innovative digital–green teaching practices. Embedding frameworks such as DigCompEdu (Redecker et al., 2020) can standardize and institutionalize teaching excellence. Employers should be repositioned as co-educators rather than passive recipients of university graduates. Structured partnerships through work-integrated learning (WIL), internship pipelines, joint research projects, and sectoral advisory boards are essential for real-time feedback and relevance. Establishing Innovation and Employability Hubs within universities can serve as collaborative platforms for students, faculty, and employers to co-create practical solutions for digital and environmental challenges.

Governments and regulatory bodies such as GTEC and UNESCO-UNEVOC should support the twin transition by aligning higher education policy with national digitalization and green growth strategies. Funding mechanisms should prioritize digital infrastructure, renewable energy use in campuses, and sustainability research. Regional frameworks like the African Union’s CESA 2025 and Agenda 2063 should serve as reference points for collaborative reform across African universities.

Future Research

Further studies should adopt comparative and longitudinal approaches to explore how universities across Africa operationalize the twin transition over time. Mixed method designs that integrate student and faculty perspectives with employer data could yield a more comprehensive understanding of readiness dynamics. Additionally, empirical work on the economic impact of twin transition education models would offer valuable policy insights for scaling successful interventions.

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