The global economy is rapidly shifting towards a digital-based model where the mobile and internet industries are driving socio-economic growth and development, Vodafone Ghana, has said.
"As the world continues to evolve and digital advancements shape the way we live, work, and learn, the demand for digital skills and competencies grows ever stronger," Vodafone Ghana said in a statement on the initiatives the company is implementing to integrate digital technology in education and bridge the digital divide, issued in Accra yesterday and copied to the Ghanaian Times.
The initiative the company mentioned was dubbed "Empowering the Future Generation in Ghana: Vodafone's Approach to Integrating Digital Technology in Education. "
It said despite the progress made in promoting a digital economy, the digital divide remained a significant challenge in the country and called on stakeholders to invest more in the digital sector to bridge the digital skills gap.
Vodafone Ghana said studies conducted in the country revealed that a mere 8.6 per cent of Ghanaian households had access to the internet and studies conducted by the International Finance Corporation indicated that there was is a significant gap in supply and demand across all skill levels in Sub-Saharan Africa.
"This digital skills gap presents a major obstacle to realizing the full potential of Africa's rapidly growing digital industries and underscores the importance of prioritizing and investing in digital literacy and technology education across the continent," Vodafone Ghana stated.
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The company said it was imperative that Ghana, along with other African countries, took proactive steps to close the digital skills gap and prepare its workforce for the jobs of the future."
"To address the digital skills gap in Ghana, it's crucial for the country to prioritize and invest in digital literacy and technology education. By doing so, individuals in Ghana will be better equipped to take advantage of the growing number of job opportunities in the digital sector and be prepared for the future workforce," Vodafone Ghana, stated.
The telecommunication company, said it was taking a leading role in transforming digital education in the country by partnering with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to open a digital learning centre on campus.
The centre, it said was designed to provide remote education to students and was equipped with state-of-the-art digital tools and technology.
"The project, which is part of Vodafone Ghana's "Connected Education" service, is aimed at contributing to the education of the youth and the future of Ghana," it said.
It said the Connected Education service offered by the company included a range of mobile services that allowed students and school administrators to work together efficiently and the services included discounted mobile data, free calls, access to online resources, and wide-area network solutions with dedicated internet.
