Dr Collins Yeboah-Afari, the Director-General for the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (AITI-KACE), has pledged to offer internships to participants of the Girls in ICT (GIICT) programme.
A statement issued by the AITI-KACE, copied to the Ghana News Agency said Dr Yeboah-Afari, who was speaking at the Open Day for Girls in ICT event which took place in Accra, said that the Centre was keen on playing its part in bridging the gender digital divide, hence, its commitment to arrange for some of the participants in the ‘Girls in ICT’ programme to take part in the courses offered at the Centre for free.
“As part of our mandate, we are quite keen on playing our part in bridging the gender digital divide,” he said.
“Let me also add that we will be happy to arrange for some of you girls to take part in our courses for free and intern here during your vacations in the not-too-distant future.”
He also urged the girls to take their training in the girls in ICT serious because digital skills had become a requirement in entrepreneurship.
Dr Yeboah-Afari commended the Communication and Digitalisation and sister agencies for their commitment to empowering Ghanaian girls in ICT.
“We are grateful to our sector Minister who has made it a personal crusade to empower Ghanaian girls, her entire team at the Ministry, sister agencies (such as) Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) and the National Communications Authority (NCA) for their commitment to the advancement of the Girls in ICT (GIICT) programme over the years,” he noted.
Madam Ama Pomaa Boateng, the Deputy Minister of Communication and Digitalisation, disclosed that the Ministry would introduce cyber security in all the training being done across the country.
According to her, the government would ensure that girls and young women in Ghana are supported to participate fully in the digital journey of the country.
“This, we do, to further deepen the insight of the girls into the nature of the world of work in the ICT industry and to encourage them to the point of knowing that they can also take up careers in this lucrative, but male-dominated industry,” she said.
The Girls-in-ICT is an initiative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), aimed at introducing young girls to basic ICT skills.
The Deputy Minister revealed that 6,000 Girls in Oti, Central, Western, North and North East Regions have benefited from the Girls in ICT Programme.
