Information technology firm, Norgence Academy has graduated 78 Junior High School leavers after a two-month training programme in ICT proficiency and web development.
The graduation ceremony, held in Bolgatanga, formed part of the Academy’s annual Curriculum Bridge Program aimed at bridging the digital divide among basic school students in the Upper East Region.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of Norgence, Albert Naa, said the initiative was born out of inadequate ICT resources in most basic schools in the region.
“Today, by the grace of God, we have come to do two things: hold a graduation ceremony and also give a talk on opportunities that exist in ICT for JHS graduates that we have been training for the past two months,” he said.
Mr. Naa explained that the programme is supported annually by Norgence Digital Solutions and targets young people to help address gaps in their ICT education before they enter Senior High School.
“The curriculum JHS is operating is very rich. Unfortunately, on the ground, lack of resources has often made it impossible for students to actually receive the needed skills they are supposed to have before they progress to the second cycle,” he added.
According to him, this year’s cohort is the fifth since the programme started. About 80 applications were received, with participants grouped into five batches of 15 and 16 students for training at the Academy’s centre.
The two-month training covered computer desktop management, keyboarding basics with Mavis Beacon, Microsoft Word, introduction to coding, the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), HTML and CSS, as well as an ICT career opportunities seminar.
Norgence launched the initiative in 2018 to help bridge the digital divide in the Upper East Region. Through the Norgence ICT Academy, the firm says it has provided tailored training to more than 2,000 people, including groups, schools and individuals.
The graduates expressed gratitude to the Academy, saying the skills acquired would help them in their education.
Meanwhile, the Academy has announced that registration for SHS students and other professional ICT courses is ongoing.
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