Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) has climaxed its basic ICT and entrepreneurship skills training for 1,720 artisans across the country, as part of its ICT Capacity Building Programme.

The training spearheaded by GIFEC is in tandem with the government's digitalisation agenda, which among other things, seeks to empower citizens in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy through the provision of requisite digital skills.

The 1,720 artisans who included dressmakers, carpenters, hairdressers, mechanics, shoemakers, caterers among others, were provided with hands-on digital entrepreneurship skills to improve their economic well-being.

It is also to enhance their digital capabilities in ICT to aid them transform their entrepreneurial skills, to enable them to thrive in a digital age.

Deputy Administrator of GIFEC, Eva Andoh-Poku, in her speech, entreated all the trainees “to capitalise on the skills acquired through this rare opportunity, to enhance your businesses, employability and your lives in general in order to enjoy the economic benefits of the use of ICT.”

She mentioned that the training was conducted in 43 centres across 8 regions of the country – Northern, North East, Upper West, Ahafo, Bono East, Bono, Ashanti, and Eastern Regions, adding that “the Artisanal Training has come to stay and GIFEC is set to replicate same in the remaining 8 regions.”

She also pledged the support of GIFEC to all the trainees and promised their continuous support even after the training as it is their legal mandate to bridge the ICT gap and marginally reduce the digital deficit of the citizenry.

Speaking to the participants, the Representative of the Member of Parliament, Kwesi Nyarko Morrison, admonished them to judiciously utilise their new-found skills for their own financial benefits and Ghana as a whole.

He added that for a sustainable livelihood, the imparted skills will surely come in handy hence the need for them to make a good use of it.

The Head of Human Resources at the Municipal Office of the Ghana Education Service, Ekpe Joseph, in a brief remark congratulated all the participants and enjoined them to harness the opportunity given to them to enhance their lives.

One of the beneficiaries, Michael Abrokwa – a coconut seller, said that the training has helped him relate better with customers and most importantly he has now branded his business bringing him more customers.

Another trainee, Miss Esther Kessiwaa – a trader, also thanked GIFEC for the opportunity, as she is now equipped to send emails, work with Microsoft Excel and can even advertise her small business on social media.

GIFEC’s ICT Capacity Building Programme, seeks to provide the citizenry with the requisite knowledge and skills to effectively optimise the use of ICT equipment, and ultimately make them function effectively in the Information and Knowledge Society.