International Girls in ICT Day commemorated

A mentorship programme for girls in Information and Communication Technology has been organised in Accra as part of activities to commemorate this year’s International Girls in ICT Day, on the theme: “Digital skills for life”.

The programme, which was organised by the Ghana Education Service (GES), was aimed at developing interest of the girls in ICT to explore the world of technology and build careers in that sector.

The girls, who included pupils from pre-school, junior and senior high schools were also taken through some Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities.

Relevance

The Director of the Science Education Unit at the STEM resource centre at the GES, Olivia Serwaa Opare, said the programme would enable the young girls to build their capacity in ICT and engineering, and also help to bridge the gender gap in what was considered a male-dominated sector.

According to her, digital literacy was the way to go and, therefore, called for building the capacity of the young generation in order that they did not lag behind in technology.

“It’s all about digital literacy, and the way the world is moving now if we do not allow our youth to be in the same space like other developing countries, we shall lag behind in technology,” she added.

The director said similar activities were being organised across the country.

Advice

The Deputy Director in charge of Management Services at the GES, Stephen Owusu, advised young people to be mindful of what they posted on the internet as it could have dire consequences on their lives in future.

He urged them to rather take advantage of the opportunities that ICT offered to improve on themselves.

“Science is life since it permeates every aspect of life. Science contributes to the economic growth of individuals and the nation, the reason GES is prioritising STEM education,” the director said.

Mr Owusu further encouraged them to pursue science from the basic to tertiary levels, adding that wherever they find themselves they must make sure they study an element of digital technology.

He said they must also be innovative and not be fascinated about what had already been invented and was in the system.

STEM 

The  STEM Advisor to the Minister of Education, Prof. Adom-Asamoah, also explained that his outfit was investing in STEM to ensure that young people had the right skills to participate in the digital space.

He expressed the hope that the celebration of the .day would help individuals identify solutions to challenges through the application of technology.