Robotics, coding, and web design took centre stage at the graduation ceremonies of about 400 students in the second cohort of the Telecel DigiTech Academy from the Eastern, Greater Accra, Western and Central regions.

The climax events of the 12-week immersive and hands-on training initiative, which seeks to bridge the digital skills gap by giving young learners practical exposure to emerging technologies, were held in Akropong, Dawhenya, Tarkwa, and Swedru.

The young innovators showcased functioning robotic systems, scratch programming applications, and fully designed websites developed during the course, proving how practical the training programme was designed.

From gas leak detection systems, hand dryers, sun trackers to smart home systems and rain-sensitive car wipers, the participants from the southern zone of the programme developed solutions that addressed local concerns such as home safety, sanitation, climate change and community health.

One of the young graduates from the Dawhenya Methodist Basic B School, Vivian Konu, said the training has exposed her to engineering and broadened her knowledge of the career pathways in STEM.

“This training has exposed me to building tech solutions using various components and how they work together to function,” Vivian said.

“I thought I would be a musician in future, but these few months of the DigiTech Academy has sparked my interest in engineering, and I will explore it further.”

Speaking at the ceremony held at the Akropong Presbyterian School, Mr. Awuah Darko, Deputy Director of Education for Akuapem North District, said Telecel DigiTech Academy has fundamentally reshaped the way students learn Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)in the classroom, and these acquired skills will be relevant for decades.

“Getting these insights and hands-on skills in STEM at this stage of your lives is a big milestone to achieve in our part of the world, and you must be applying the knowledge to build solutions to change our environment.

"Make sure you teach others what you have learned during the training and make a positive impact with these skills,” Mr. Darko said to the graduating students.

Delivered in partnership with Asustem Robotics and Mingo Foundation, the Telecel DigiTech Academy runs alongside the Ghana Education Service curriculum, combining classroom teaching with project-based learning.

This academic term alone, the programme has trained over 1,000 students in 10 regions nationwide.

Rita Rockson, Head of Foundation, Sustainability and External Communications at Telecel Ghana, said the young learners have proven that Ghana’s digital future could be shaped by students from every community.

“The goal of this programme is to inspire more young people, especially girls who make up 70 per cent of the participants, to pursue careers in STEM and also to bridge the digital divide,” Rita said.

“Looking at the creativity of the projects showcased in the southern zone, it shows that when given the opportunity, these learners can match their peers anywhere in the world.”