100 Teachers trained in Basic ICT & Coding, as part of the Girls in ICT Programme
The Training of Trainers for the Girls in ICT (GIICT) Project has ended in the Bono East regional capital, Techiman with one hundred (100) teachers from 11 districts benefiting. The teachers will in turn train 1,000 girls drawn from the 11 districts of the region, as part of the project.
The districts are Techiman Municipal, Techiman North, Kintampo North Municipal, Kintampo South, Nkoranza South Municipal, Nkoranza North, Atebubu-Amantin Municipal, Pru East, Pru West, Sene East and Sene West.
At a short ceremony held at the Auditorium of Valley View University, the Director of Operations at the Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), Alhaji Yahaya Zakaria Osman urged the teachers to put in maximum efforts in training the Girls.
He said, GIFEC, under its ICT Capacity Building and Skills Development Programme has trained trained citizens in basic ICT skills, and provided basic ICT equipment to aid in their learning and training. “GIFEC has embarked on several interventions, including the provision of ICT equipment and training of Students, Teachers, Artisans, and Persons in various industries with basic and intermediary ICT Skills under the ICT Capacity Building and Skills Development Programme”, Alhaji Yahaya stated.
The Director of Operations added that the objective of the programme is to enhance livelihood and increase the adoption of digitalisation by building the capacity of 100’s of ICT Teachers and other Trainers each year. The programme also provides Technical & Resource Support for the training of 1000’s of GIICT each year, training over 1,000 Kids in ICT coding, and setting up several coding clubs across the country, among others.
Alhaji Yahaya used the opportunity to thank the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Hon. Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (MP) for her continuous leadership and passion towards the GIICT training programme since she became the sector Minister in 2017.
The Regional Coordinating Director, Mr. George Padmore Mensah, said the region is ready to host the GIICT programme in April and added that, the region will offer its support from the beginning to the end of the programme. He advised the teachers to impart more training skills and knowledge unto the girls and exhibit professionalism in their teaching.
On her part, the Regional Education Director, Madam Effa A.D. Amuah, advised the trainers to take the training seriously since it represents a good opportunity for them to grow their knowledge base and help improve the job skills of the girls.
Also present at the ceremony were Madam Osei Agarthar, Regional Girls Education Officer, Mr. John Kodwo Amissah, Municipal Education Director (Techiman South) and Madam Ellen White, Municipal Girls Education Officer.
Others were Mr. Gabriel Gyamfi, Regional ICT Coordinator, Madam Gloria Adjarah, an Assistant Director at Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD) and Mrs. Priscilla Hope, an Officer at KACE.
The Girls in ICT initiative is one of the flagship Programmes of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation and is in line with the International Girls in ICT Day, an initiative backed by all ITU Member States, which aims at encouraging and empowering girls and young women to consider studies and careers in the growing field of ICT, enabling both girls and technology companies to reap the benefits of greater female participation in the ICT sector.
Since its inception, the programme has been funded entirely by the MoCD, NCA and GIFEC, with some support from network operators and the American Tower Corporation (ATC).
This year’s GIICT programme will be held in five (5) regions with the first slated for the Bono East region. Training of the Girls starts from 4th to 15th April, and district competitions take place from 8th to 16th April. The event will be climaxed on the 19th of April, 2022.
The GIICT programme is an initiative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), adopted by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD), aimed at introducing young girls to basic ICT skills.
The programme has been promoted, deepened and broadened by the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation – Hon. Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, to an unprecedented level.
From 2017 to 2021, 5,000 girls and 500 Teachers across 8 Regions, have been trained by, and benefitted from the programme.
The programme not only imparts topnotch digital skills to but offers life and career mentorship as well as personal computer equipment and cyber labs in the schools of many of the participants.
This year alone, an additional 5,000 girls (1,000 each in 5 Regions), are to be trained to acquire fundamental digital skills, from turning on a PC, to creating basic applications through programming (coding).
Also, about 500 teachers in all, will be trained this year, to train the girls.
Telecommunications Giant MTN Ghana donated an amount of ¢10 million in 2021, to the MoCD, to support the GIICT for the next 3 years.
Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC), is the main technical resource facilitator of the GIICT initiative while the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE) trains the GIICT Trainiers.