The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communication (GIFEC) together with the German Economic Corporation (GIZ) has climaxed its digital skills training for 2,500 entrepreneurs in the country.

This is part of government’s commitment to increase the reach of digital skills for entrepreneurs to support the digitalisation of the economy.

In partnership with the GIZ, the project seeks to strengthen the digital capacities of women and youth in utilizing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to build and expand their businesses, while making them ready for the job market.

GIFEC has so far trained about 2500 youth and women in this initiative across 40 selected Community ICT Centres (CICs) in eight regions of the country.

Speaking to Journalists after the climax and graduation ceremony at Kyebi in the Eastern Region, Deputy Administrator of GIFEC, Eva Andoh Poku explained that this will add value to the businesses of the beneficiaries.

“This is part of our resolve to enhance digital education throughout the country, so that we benefit from the ongoing digitalisation move which has become global.

This is very necessary due to the outbreak of the pandemic which made us witness a massive move to virtual initiatives especially in the business world, and hence we are not leaving anybody behind in this programmes.

We are targeting our rural youth and women with this particular initiative so that they can up their businesses to the next level and improve their living conditions”, she said.

All participants were presented with certificates of participation as a testimony to the training and knowledge acquired.

Speaking on behalf of GIZ, Stephanie Huber, highlighted the importance of the project to the growth of local economies, saying, it is the right time to use digital tools to solve socio economic challenges.

Some beneficiaries who shared their experiences on the training programme praised GIFEC and GIZ team for the gesture and promised to make good use of the skills acquired.

The team from GIFEC paid a courtesy call on some chiefs at the “Ofori Panie fie” to seek traditional blessings upon the initiative before the ceremony.

Abontendomhene Osabarima Marfo Kwabrane urged the beneficiaries to use the skills in empowering themselves and profit from their hard labour.