The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced plans to supply an additional 2,000 laptops to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to expand digital skills training under the government’s One Million Coders Programme (OMCP).
The announcement was made during the Minister’s working visit to KNUST as part of his tour of the Ashanti Region to assess the progress of the initiative, evaluate its implementation and identify opportunities to extend its reach to more students.
During the visit, the Minister toured selected learning centres on campus and interacted with students participating in the programme. He engaged learners on their experiences and encouraged more students to take advantage of the digital training opportunities available through the initiative.
The planned distribution of 2,000 additional laptops is expected to facilitate the establishment of 40 new learning centres across the university. This will increase the number of centres from the existing 10 to 50, significantly expanding access to technology-enabled education at KNUST.
The university initially received 500 laptops to equip its first 10 learning centres under the One Million Coders Programme.
The expansion is expected to make digital literacy and coding education more accessible to students and other prospective learners within the KNUST community. It will also provide more opportunities for participants to acquire practical technology skills needed in Ghana’s expanding digital economy.
The Minister further disclosed that the Ministry was exploring partnerships with other tertiary institutions in the Ashanti Region to broaden participation in the programme. Kumasi Technical University is among the institutions being considered for possible expansion.
The initiative forms part of the Ministry’s broader strategy to strengthen digital skills development, promote technology-driven education and increase access to digital learning facilities across Ghana.
Through the One Million Coders Programme, the government aims to equip more Ghanaians with relevant coding, programming and other digital technology skills to improve employability, encourage innovation and prepare young people for emerging opportunities in the technology sector.
The additional laptop allocation to KNUST is expected to support the programme’s expansion while helping students develop the competencies required to participate in Ghana’s digital transformation and the global technology industry.
Source: newsthemegh.com