The Problem with “Paper Skills”

Africa doesn’t have a skills shortage. It has an application shortage.

Everywhere you look, young people are collecting certificates from training programmes, bootcamps, and online courses. On paper, they’re “digital marketers,” “data analysts,” “graphic designers,” or “entrepreneurs.” But when it comes to delivering results in the real world, too many fall short.

I’ve seen it firsthand: a CV filled with glowing training badges, but when an employer says “show me what you’ve done,” silence follows. Skills that live only on paper are what I call fluff, light, hollow, and unable to carry weight. What the world needs is the real stuff: skills tested, applied, and proven in practice.

The Illusion of Training

Over the past decade, Africa has seen a surge in training programmes. They’ve brought awareness and opportunity to millions, but there’s an uncomfortable truth: training does not equal employability.

Too often, training ends where it should begin, at the point of application. Learners are handed certificates and expected to “go figure it out.” Employers, however, aren’t impressed by how many workshops you’ve attended; they want proof that you can solve problems, work under pressure, and deliver outcomes.

It’s like reading the highway code and believing you can drive. You may know the signs, but Lagos traffic will quickly humble you if you’ve never sat behind the wheel.

My Journey with EWD Africa

At EWD Africa, I’ve had the privilege of leading initiatives that have trained over 40,000 young Africans in digital skills. It’s one of the most fulfilling parts of my work, seeing young people light up as they discover new possibilities in technology, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation.

But I’ve also wrestled with the gaps. Many participants left with confidence and exposure, but not all left with employability. The missing piece? Application. They needed opportunities to test what they had learned, to build something tangible, to fail and try again. Without this, the training, no matter how good, risked becoming fluff.

Why Application Matters

Employers don’t just ask “What do you know?” They ask:

• Can you deliver results in context?
• Can you solve problems when things don’t go according to plan?
• Can you collaborate and communicate effectively in a team?

This is why portfolios, case studies, and references are more powerful than certificates. They show the real stuff. They answer the question: “Can I trust you with this responsibility?”

And for young people, application builds resilience and confidence. Once you’ve delivered a project, no matter how small, you know you can do it again.

From Fluff to Real Stuff — The Greydient Model

This conviction led me to launch Greydient, my boldest step yet to bridge the gap between training and employment. Greydient is not just about learning. It’s about doing.

Participants don’t leave with only a certificate; they leave with:

• Real-world project experience that employers can trust.
• Guidance from Skills Professors — industry experts who mentor, correct, and challenge.
• Access to digital tools that make their work practical and professional.
• References to back up their skills when applying for jobs.

Greydient is designed to help young people cross the bridge from theory to practice, from fluff to real stuff.

A Framework for Young People

So how can you make sure your skills aren’t just fluff? I use this simple framework:

Learn → Do → Show → Grow

• Learn: Acquire the foundational knowledge or skill.
• Do: Apply it in real projects, even personal ones or volunteer work count.
• Show: Create a portfolio, case study, or reference that proves your competence.
• Grow: Use these experiences to step into bigger opportunities, new roles, or entrepreneurship.

It’s a cycle. Every time you repeat it, your value multiplies.

The Call to Action

Skills without application are useless. The world is full of people with certificates, but short of people who can prove what they can do.

This is the challenge and the opportunity for Africa’s next generation: to demand more than training, to seek out opportunities to apply, and to insist on building the real stuff.

At EWD Africa, I’ve seen what’s possible when training opens doors. At Greydient, I’m committed to ensuring those doors lead to real rooms,  rooms where young people can apply, grow, and thrive.

The future won’t be built by paper qualifications. It will be built by people who can do.
It’s time to move from fluff to real stuff.