Ursula Launches Ghana Knowledge And Skills Bank Portal …To Train Artisans, Transform Education

By Justice Dzido On Sep 18, 2024

The Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Communications and Digitalization and the Ministry of Education have successfully launched the Ghana Knowledge And Skills Bank (GKSB) Portal which will serve as a significant milestone towards digital transformation, inclusive development and the country’s journey towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Goal 4.

The portal built by Impomtuo Technologies, a Ghanaian-owned company with support from Telecommunication giant – MTN and funding from the World Bank makes Ghana the second country in Africa aside Egypt to achieve such milestone.

The Minister for Communications and Digitalization, Hon, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful speaking at the official launch yesterday, September 17, at the Accra Digital Centre said, the portal will grant access to over 5 million online library archives, learning resources and tools to enhance education, train artisans on skills, among others.

“Digitalization is a transformative force that is reshaping the landscape of every facet of our lives, education inclusive. In a world driven by technology, it is imperative that we harness the power of digital tools to revolutionize the way we learn and teach. His Excellency the Vice President has been a great advocate for the digitisation of our economy. The Ministry knowing the importance of this new trend has through the erstwhile e-Transform improved the efficiency and coverage of government service delivery using information and communication technologies (ICT).

She added, “The Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation through the World Bank financed eTransform project was a World Bank financed project which has significantly made strides in enhancing connectivity across Ghana. This ambitious initiative has revolutionized digital infrastructure, and the potential of ensuring that every corner of the country has access to high-speed internet and modern communication tools. The Project implementation started in January 2015. The project was restructured by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation and the World Bank in January 2018 to re-focus the project for accelerated development objective attainment.”

She further explained that, the initiative is part of government’s broader efforts to modernize Ghana’s educational system and align it with international standards, adding that, it is a platform built and fed with information which is in line with the approved curriculum.

“Digitalization holds the key to addressing many challenges that plague our education system, from limited access to quality resources to the disparity in educational opportunities between urban and rural areas. By embracing digitalization, we can bridge these gaps and ensure that every student, regardless of their background, has access to a world-class education.

She continued, “Furthermore, digitalization empowers educators to adopt innovative teaching methodologies, engage students in interactive learning experiences, and personalize instruction to meet the diverse needs of learners. It fosters collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, essential skills for success in the 21st century.

“I encourage every Ghanaian to embrace this platform, explore its resources, and take advantage of the opportunities it offers. Especially to our students, this portal is for you. Explore it, utilize it, and make the most of it. Remember, knowledge is power, and with GKSB, you have the power to shape your future.”

About GKSB Portal

Ghana has for the first-time developed Knowledge and skills bank to enhance knowledge acquisition and skills development in the country. Known as the Ghana Knowledge and Skills Bank (GKSB), it will store a wide array of educational materials including content from reputable sources such as Cambridge University Press, Cengage Learning, and many others.

The portal has been built to serve as a one stop shop for knowledge acquisition. It will be linked to the existing portals for ease of referencing. It also includes online material already developed by the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS) and the Ghana Education Service.

The Ghana Knowledge and Skills Bank will also have a skill training portal where persons willing to develop their skills in artisanship and others can do so. The good thing about the Ghana Knowledge and Skills bank is that the skill development portal has an audio-visual component in Ghanaian languages, which means anybody can use it.

The GKSB portal per all indicated records has the potential to transform education in Ghana and help Ghana build a more resilient and adaptable learning ecosystem. The Platform is expected to give students from Basic to Tertiary level access to educational resource. There are currently over 61,000 e-books uploaded on it. The platform will also bring together students, teachers and lecturers, publishers and other stakeholders in the teaching and learning value chain.