A two-month intensive training programme has been launched for one hundred and seventy (170) National Service Personnel attached to the National Communications Authority (NCA) for the 2017/18 service year.
The training programme which is tailored to orient and develop them as they get ready to serve in various roles in the Authority, and part of a year-long programme for the service personnel, will further give in-depth insight into the various functions of the NCA in addition to other career-enhancing skills.
These are aimed at preparing the personnel for the world of work. The training programme was officially launched at the NCA’s Head Office at Airport City.
Speaking at the launch of the training, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia enumerated a number of initiatives government has embarked on which are heavily reliant on information communication technology and the digitization of the Ghanaian economy.
He therefore commended the Board and Management of the NCA for drawing up a training programme which will equip the National Service personnel for the opportunities the digitization of the Ghanaian economy will provide. Quoting from the Digital Terrestrial Television slogan, the Vice President said it is indeed ‘digitime’ in Ghana and young people must prepare themselves to embrace it.
Acting Director General of the National Communications Authority, Joe Anokye said his outfit’s ultimate outcome for the programme is to produce enhanced capability, unique career building blocks and networking opportunities for the National Service Personnel. “The NCA is undertaking a first of a kind project to ensure that National Service Personnel attached to the NCA will, from today, be undertaking a 2 Month Boot Camp to obtain the necessary skills and confidence to contribute to our strategic goals”.
The Boot Camp has programmes and activities that National Service Personnel (NSP) would have the opportunity to participate in to enhance their skills, share their knowledge and benchmark their ideas with that of their peers while at the same time, extensively prepare and expose them to the corporate world.
Mr. Joe Anokye added that “the quality of the exposure will be unprecedented as the NCA has taken steps to ensure that well-resourced facilitators deliver the training”. This training would enable them obtain relevant insights and understanding of the current and emerging industry trends and developments. He also said the Authority has also arranged for external resource people to deliver soft skills training and entrepreneurial motivational exposures with young Ghanaians to give the NSP a balanced training.
Explaining further, the Ag. Director General said the training forms part of the key requirements of the NCA – that is, the continuous training of its human resource base as the industry is known for its dynamism and quick changing these technological developments.
He mentioned that for National Service Personnel, it would be their first peep in into this space and thus the need for them to be prepped adequately. Mr. Anokye ended by saying that the Authority is desirous of contributing in building the capacities of NSP for their upcoming service and life beyond the service period so they will be prepared to be absorbed seamlessly into the job market.
The Minister for Communications and Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West Constituency, Honourable Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said she was excited about the idea of training National Service Personnel.
In her speech she acknowledged the fact that education is a continuum and in the Communications sector which products and services are heavily patronized by the youth including the NSPs, the technicalities of it must be explained to enable them appreciate its enormity and importance especially in this fast moving technological age.
The Minister stressed the importance and enormous potential of creating jobs within the sector and said that the structured training could bring these opportunities to the fore and give young people the chance to be job creators.
Mrs. Owusu-Ekuful said the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is one that has made the creation of an enabling environment for the thriving of businesses and ideas a priority. She said a key priority is the cultivation and support of ideas that will assist in the collective growth and development of this nation and her people and that a number of agencies are feverishly working to ensure that ideas are nurtured and helped to grow.
A Deputy Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, Dr. Gifty Oware-Aboagye who represented the Scheme on behalf of the Executive Director, admonished the personnel to take the training serious since that is the only way they could grasp the intricacies of the work of the Authority and make a meaningful impact during their one year stay for the mandatory service.
Dr. Oware-Aboagye also gave the assurance that the varied financial irregularities which characterized the scheme in the past have been fully ironed out and the allowances of personnel for the 2017/2018 service year shall be paid via E-Zwich to permanently eradicate the issue of funds being tampered with.
The 170 personnel will, after their training, attached to the various Divisions in the NCA, with 62 of them to be added to the Consumer Outreach team that is expected to join the Consumer and Corporate Affairs Division in educating consumers across the country.