EJOBS FOR THE YOUTH: LOCAL RELEVANCE, GLOBAL IMPACT
Across the world, passionate individuals and organisations are championing the positive power of esports to make a meaningful difference in society.
Like every impactful movement, Esports must be rooted in strong, sustainable communities. Most importantly, it must address real societal needs in ways that ensure its impact is felt at the grassroots level by indigenous and local communities.
Esports offers a multifaceted approach to tackling key challenges such as youth unemployment. Within this space lies innovative potential to bridge gaps in education, skills development, and alternative career pathways for young people.
At every opportunity I get to engage with leadership, across schools, communities, and institutions. I advocate for esports as a bridge: a bridge to the future of work, and a bridge to community development.
Esports can provide alternative employment opportunities while instilling digital discipline, teamwork, problem-solving skills, and creativity that young people can build on within their local environments.
This is why I consistently advocate to Members of Parliament, District Chief Executives, Chiefs, Traditional Leaders, and Local Government authorities for the Community Esports Empowerment Program (CEEP).
What is CEEP?
CEEP is a community-based activation model that uses Esports to create tangible value at the local level through:
- Digital literacy programmes
- Esports team creation
- Skills training and capacity building
- Branding and marketing development
- Competitive league systems
- Content creation and media empowerment
- Entertainment & Recreational Power
- Esports Tourism
How to implement CEEP
- Create a community-focused esports campaign to mobilise and organise youth.
- Conduct surveys to understand game preferences, interest levels, and digital culture within the community.
- Group interested participants into structured esports teams.
- Deliver extensive esports education tailored to local relevance, respecting geography, culture, and traditions.
- Develop robust branding and marketing frameworks to attract local businesses and secure brand partnerships.
- Establish a local Esports Governance structure that engages with traditional leadership and community councils.
- Secure a dedicated space for esports training, tournaments, and events, serving also as a shared hub for youth-led digital enterprises.
- Develop a local Esports calendar that aligns leagues, events, and festivals with existing community celebrations.
These are just a few strategic pillars. I have developed a more extensive framework focused on building local relevance that scales to global impact. I am on a journey to identify visionary leaders willing to pilot and champion this model for the benefit of local youth.
Esports carries strong educational, employment, and entertainment value, powered by the limitless potential of young people. Building a sustainable local Esports economy requires intentional leadership, leaders who are willing to look beyond the present and invest in the future.
Tag a community leader, a Chief, a DCE, or an Honourable Member of Parliament. Let them know that esports can be a practical and powerful solution to youth employment in their constituency.
It starts with a plan, a pilot, and a programme.
Kwesi Hayford Advocate for Esports & Youth Development