Ensure every child is equipped with ICT skills for future development- Antony Okleh

The Municipal ICT Coordinator for New Juaben South, Antony Okleh has called on stakeholders in the education sector to ensure that every child in the country, regardless of their background were equipped with digital skill that were essential for the future development of the country.

He said equipping and utilizing information technology to uplift the lives of the children would not only transform their lives but they would also use it to transform their communities and societies they find themselves in the country.

“We have children in the country who lack the basic numeracy and reading skills required for a productive future.
However, through the learning of IT, we can find a transformative solution that has the potential to bridge this gap,” he said.

Mr.Okleh also added that it would help reduce learning poverty among children who were the future leaders of the country.

The Municipal ICT Coordinator made these statements during the graduation of 22 pupils who took part in the Illumine IT training programme organised by the Ghana Library Authority (GLA) in collaboration with the Eastern Entertainment Group and UNICEF in Koforidua on Thursday.

The programme sought to equip the pupils with digital skills to improve their access to quality learning, employability and empower them for opportunities online and offline through youth engagement centres established by the GLA in partnership with UNICEF.

The pupils were trained in internet research, graphic design, introduction to computer and spreadsheets among others.

Mr Okleh indicated that today’s world was constantly evolving and information technology has transcended its role as a mere tool and has emerged as a beacon of hope illuminating the path towards a more equitable landscape.

He said equipping the pupils with the skills would empower them to contribute meaningfully to the future workforce and society and make them architects of change.

“With the advent of the digital age learning is no longer confined to the four walls of the classrooms. We have online resources, interactive platforms and educational applications that has the power to deliver quality learning experiences to the most remote corners of the world,” he said.

He said coupled with teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving and collaboration, the pupil can transform the country.

He congratulated the graduands and urged them to continue to advance in digital knowledge and skills and take advantage of any opportunity that comes their way and urged parents to continue to make the necessary investment in their children while they motivate them to do more.

For her part, Madam Bridget Adjei Mensah, Head of IT at the GLA in the Eastern region who spoke on behalf of the Regional Director, Mr Evans Korletey-Tene said GLA and UNICEF shared similar views and values in fostering literary and providing skill development opportunities for young people, adding that it has encouraged them to collaborate to drive the engagement centre in Ghana through the establishment of ten youth engagement centers in Ghana Libraries.

She said Koforidua in the Eastern region was part of the places where the ten centres havebeen established to strengthen institutional capacity and leverage on technological tools to achieve desirable outcome for young people and bring its services closed to them.

She said the partnership with stakeholders to roll out the Illumin IT project was one of the programmes create community spaces for peer to peer learning and youth engagement which also enables stronger cooperation with young people.

One of the beneficiaries, a pupil of the Koforidua Presbyterian School, Delight Kekeli Ahor thanked the organisers for the programme and stated that they have they would improve themselves while they use skills to help others.

From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua