JICA supports CSTC with E-Learning Platform

As part of its contribution to the strengthening of the Human Resource Capacity of the Civil Servant Project being implemented by the Civil Service Training Centre (CSTC), Japan International Cooperation (JICA), has unveiled an E-Learning platform that seeks to help train civil servants across the country.

JICA’s collaboration with the Office of the Head of Civil Service (OHCS) and the Civil Servant Training Centre (CSTC), which spans over 15 years, is aimed at building the capacity of the Civil Service and elevate the training centre to a Centre of Excellence in Civil Service Capacity Development in Africa.

At a Media Engagement in Accra on Thursday, JICA Expert, Masashi Yamanaka, noted that the e-learning platform will help strengthen civil servants’ skills and capacity, adding that it is essential to improve education and training.

Mr. Yamanaka, a beneficiary of E-Learning, stated that the platform uses a hybrid learning system where 70 per cent of the training is done online and 30 per cent is done in person.

“Our vision is to provide more opportunities for everyone to be trained. In Accra, you can still do training in person and places like Kumasi, they can do Zoom training. But there are a lot of regions with limited or no access to the internet. In that case, they can use the e-learning,” Mr Yamanaka added.

He revealed that, JICA provided funding for the purchasing of professional quality video cameras, photocopiers, hybrid training rooms and studios, 16 laptop computers and other equipment to improve learning and training.

Chief Representative of JICA, Momoko Suzuki, on his part expressed delight at the cooperation of her institution and the CSTC over the years. She was confident that the centre will live up to its mandate of training members of the civil service and public service and expand to train these personnel across some West African countries including Liberia and Sierra Leone.

“I am proud to see the evolvement of CSTC and how the centre has brought herself to this level and enthusiasm to become better. We see CSTC as a centre of excellence not only in Ghana but in the sub-region,” she noted.

Principal of CSTC, Dora Dei-Tumi, noted that, the mandate of the Centre is to develop the capacity of low and middle level personnel of the Civil Service, however, with the support from JICA the centre now trains the middle to higher level training programs.

She further asserted that, JICA’s support has given the centre and the trainers the requisite exposure by travelling across the world to learn best practices and engages various capacity building opportunities.

Yearly, the Civil Service Training Centre (CSTC) trains about 5,000 lower and middle-level personnel in the civil and public service.

The nearly two-year project that began in June 2022, aims not just to strengthen the human resource capacity of the civil service but also increase the number of trainees yearly which in turn improves the civil service.

JICA hopes that by the close of the project in March 2024, four e-learning courses namely ADIIB Analogous Grade Cohort-1, Cohort-2, Cohort-3, and Report Writing Skills Course will be completed.

By Derrick Botsyoe || ghananewsonline.com.gh