By:
Nana Appiah Acquaye
More
than 1,000 participants have been officially oriented under the Government of
Ghana’s One Million Coders Programme (OMCP) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology (KNUST), as part of efforts to build digital capacity
and prepare young people for opportunities in the digital economy.
The
orientation took place at the Kumapley Auditorium and brought together
participants from four KNUST centres, including the Department of Computer
Science, the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Faculty of
Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, and the Responsible AI Lab (RAIL).
The
programme is a flagship national initiative led by the Ministry of
Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations and is designed to strengthen
digital skills development across the country.
Speaking
at the event, Prof. Jerry John Kponyo, Principal Investigator and Scientific
Director of the Responsible AI Lab and KNUST Focal Lead for OMCP, encouraged
participants to broaden their focus beyond coding alone and build a wider set
of digital competencies.
He
said the programme is aimed at equipping participants with skills that enhance
employability, entrepreneurship, and participation in the digital economy.
According to him, “It is important to build capacity and skill ourselves and
position ourselves.”
Prof.
Kponyo also noted that the programme will adopt a hybrid learning model, with
online facilitation serving as the primary mode of delivery. He urged
participants to take responsibility for their learning experience, adding that
“most of the facilitation is online and not in person.”
He
further stated that the ultimate goal of the initiative is to ensure that
graduates of the programme are connected to job opportunities. He also
indicated that plans are underway to introduce remote internship opportunities
to provide participants with practical industry experience.
