KOICA refurbishes, retools ICT lab of ATTC to enhance student’s digital skills  

The digital skills of about 3,000 students of the Accra Technical Training Centre (ATTC) are set to be enhanced following the refurbishment, retooling and the handing over of an ICT laboratory to the school.  

The facelift, which was done by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), is expected to enhance the teaching and learning of information and communication technology (ICT) to prepare the students for the future.  

The project involved replacing the tools of the lab with 26 new laptops, chairs, air conditioners, a printer, stationery, including toners and paper, and an electric projector screen.  

Handing over the facility to the school on Friday, Mr Dong Hyun Lee, KOICA Country Director, said with a rapidly changing world where technology was defining how work, education and interactions were done, empowering the youth was crucial in preparing them for the future.  

Digital skills, he said, were no longer optional, but a fundamental pillar in driving innovation, supporting economic growth, and enhancing national development.  

However, Mr Lee noted that the existing challenges facing ICT education in Ghana, particularly in infrastructure and access to learning resources, could not be ignored.  

He, therefore, described the work on the facility as “making a meaningful investment” in the life skills of the youth.   

“By providing access to essential ICT tools, students will be empowered with the skills and tools they need to innovate and compete in the global digital space.”   

The KOIKA County Director urged the students to put the facility and its resources to effective use to strengthen their hands-on digital skills for a brighter and more empowered future.  

He charged the school’s authorities to ensure proper maintenance and effective utilisation of the facility to make a lasting meaningful impact.   

“I am confident that with this newly refurbished ICT lab, ATTC students will rise to become leaders of digital innovation and development in Ghana and beyond,” he added.  

Mr Arko Dometey, the Principal of ATTC, commended KOICA for the gesture, emphasising that a well-equipped ICT lab was crucial in the training and enhancement of the academic performance of students.  

The refurbished lab, he said, would improve the teaching of ICT and equip students with the requisite digital skills for the job market.  

Mr Dometey also lauded the partnership between KOICA and ATTC since 2011, which had led to the renovation of five departments in the school.  

“It has also provided teacher training and management training programmes, where 15 staff were sent to South Korea to improve their skills,” he added.  

The principal assured KOIKA of the effective utilisation of the facility to ensure the attainment of the set objectives and impact of the “investment”.  

Mr Richard Clottey, the Head of the ICT Department, said the retooling of the lab was timely, considering the obsolete conditions in which most of the computers were.   

“With some of the computers, most of the specifications are outdated, so, when you install even new apps, they are not compatible,” he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview.  

Mr Clottey appealed to the Government and the private sector to support the school with more computers.   

“With an average class of 60 students, additional computers will ease the pressure on teachers and ensure effective teaching and learning of the subject,” he said.  

“At least, we should have about, let’s say, a capacity of 80, then, everybody will get an opportunity.”   

Mr Michael Kwame Awuah Larbi, the Head, National Information Technology Agency (NITA), emphasised the need for Ghana to put in place a strategic digital plan to accelerate ICT growth.   

Being a member of the KOICA Alumni Association Ghana, he called for the integration of AI and cybersecurity into training programmes to meet global trends.  

Source: GNA  

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