Accra-Ghana, Sept. 04, GNA – Madam Ama Pomaa Boateng, the Deputy Minister of Communications and Digitalization, has encouraged students to take advantage of the Seeds for the Future programme to learn from the best, explore new opportunities and build valuable networks.
She said the future was digital and in it lied an array of unlimited possibilities for those who pursue it to develop themselves professionally and personally.
Madam Boateng was speaking through zoom at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Huawei Ghana Seeds for the Future Programme in Accra.
As part of this year’s Seeds for the Future Programme beneficiaries will be engaged in an eight-day intensive online training introducing them to industry relevant courses, in the areas of 5G, Cloud Computing, AI and Digital Power.
The programme is Huawei’s globally recognized Corporate Social Responsibility programme, which seeks to develop local talent, share knowledge, increase ICT sector awareness and enthusiasm, as well as foster digital community building.
Since its launch in Thailand in 2008, the programme has provided training opportunities for more than 15,000 youth in 139 countries with a 100 per cent female participation rate from Ghana over the past three years.
The programme has benefitted 220 Ghanaian tertiary students from July 2015 to October 2022 and this year, 70 Female University students are also expected to benefit from the initiative bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 290.
The selected students will begin their ICT journey from September 4 to September 11, 2023, with the mentorship and closing ceremony scheduled for September 15, 2023.
She said for the third time in three years, Huawei had dedicated all slots to promising young ladies encouraging them to take part in such global competitive initiatives to advance their knowledge and skill set and prepare them for the rapidly changing job market.
She said in today’s evolving digital landscape, organizations were compelled to adapt and leverage technology to stay competitive.
“Integrating ICT solutions in the operation of organizations has become an essential tool in enhancing productivity and unlocking new potentials,” she added.
She said data from the International Telecommunications Union indicated that, “Tens of millions of future jobs will require far more advanced digital skills.”
The Deputy Minister said as such skills were increasingly important for employment, substantial “talent gaps” may emerge between workers proficient with ICTs and those lacking it.
“It is therefore imperative that more effort is channeled into strengthening the digital skills capacity of our future generation,” she added.
Madam Boateng said as a Ministry championing the Girls ICT initiative would continue to throw its weight behind such talent development initiatives for an inclusive and sustainable digital economy.
Mr. Kweku Essuman Quansah, The Deputy Managing Director for Huawei Ghana, said the programme was aimed at nurturing young ICT talents for a sustainable digital future.
He said Huawei had, over the past few years, prioritized the training of ICT talents across the globe, with the aim of addressing the widening industry skills gaps in the ICT industry.
He said in Ghana, “we have partnered with key ministries like the Ministries of Communications and Digitalization, Education, Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Information among others.
He said Huawei had, in the space of two years, trained 80,000 young girls in relevant ICT courses.
“By empowering these young women, we are not just investing in their future; we are investing in the future of our industry, our country and the world at large,” he added.
He said beneficiaries would be engaged in a mentorship and career guidance sessions providing them with insight from experienced industry professionals.
Under this programme, participants will also engage in a Tech4Good Competition aimed at providing solutions to social problems.
The programme is more than a technical training and It is an initiative aimed at encouraging participants to make a tangible impact.
“Huawei, in pushing this agenda will provide a US$ 100,000 startup fund to support the project ideas of the top three groups. These outstanding students will also get the opportunity to attend the Startup Sprint event in China, to gain real-world business experience,” he added.
