November 1, 2022
Increasing access to resources and opportunities for Ghanaian youth is essential to ensuring a sustainable future for more Ghanaian people. Central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to leave no one behind.
For developing countries such as Ghana, unemployment and underemployment is a major developmental challenge affecting many youth. The World Bank estimates that by 2035 there will be a youth bulge in Africa. It is important that more youth are provided with skills and resources to support themselves and enhance overall development.
It is estimated that 230 million jobs in Sub Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030. The need for increased access to digital skills for Africa’s youth has become essential now more than ever. In Ghana, efforts have been made to include digital literacy into the educational curriculum, however the access to resources and skills to teach these digital skills has been minimal.
A collaborative effort between the public and private sector is needed to support the provision of digital skills for Ghanaian youth
The DreamOval Foundation has made significant strides in supporting efforts to increase digital literacy in Ghana. The Foundation through its programs has facilitated the provision of digital skills to both educators and students to increase access to digital skills and knowledge across Ghana.
Some beneficiaries of some of DreamOval’s programs have gone on to work in other firms and fields in technology, and are excelling.
The Foundation continues to implement program such as Africa Code Week aimed at facilitating the provision of digital skills to both students and educators across Ghana. Africa Code Week (ACW) is a continent-wide program focused on providing coding skills to young people across Africa.
ACW is an initiative by SAP that invests in the provision of digital skills to primary and secondary school students to bridge the digital divide in Africa and increase digital opportunities for Africa’s youth. The initiative is implemented by DreamOval Foundation in Ghana.
As part of Africa Code Week, 980 teachers across Ghana were taught how to code using the SCRATCH coding program by trained experts. The teachers go on to teach their students the coding skills acquired during their training. An estimated 90,000 students are expected to be taught how to code using SCRATCH during this year’s Africa Code Week.
Participants are also encouraged to apply what they have learned by participating in the annual Africa Code Challenge where they are required to develop a game on the theme “Protecting Life Together” using the SCRATCH coding program. It is expected that the provision of these digital skills will encourage students to develop interest in digital tools and applications.
Africa Code Week sessions will continue till 11th November 2022. SAP teamed up with other partners including UNESCO, Irish Aid and Camden Education to bring this program to as many African youth as possible. To learn more about Africa Code Week and other programs by the DreamOval Foundation, visit www.dreamoval.org