Microsoft Transitions Tizaaworks To Worldvision

Microsoft today announced that it has transitioned Ghanaian online employability platform, TizaaWorks, to new implementing partner, World Vision, as launch partner, IICD, ceases operations in The Hague.

The aim of the new partnership is to reach more young people around Ghana and engage with more local partners to connect youth with opportunities for training, employment and entrepreneurship.                                                

TizaaWorks was jointly launched in May 2015 by Microsoft and IICD. The online platform is a one-stop shop for Ghana’s youth to access a full ecosystem of services for employability and entrepreneurship.

It includes career planning, courses, on-the-ground events, entrepreneurship support services, community building and job advertisements.  To date, over 1400 Ghanaians have registered as users including over 100 young entrepreneurs.

Derek Appiah, Country Manager  Microsoft Ghana comments, “Having operated in Ghana for 10 years, one of our main objectives has been to invest in the country’s education and youth.

With the help of partners like IICD, we have been successful in launching TizaaWorks to improve youth employability and we look forward to reaching even more youth through our new partner – World Vision who have been driving similar projects in the continent. Our ambition as we move forward is to reach even more young Ghanaians by engaging with local partners to connect them with online and physical opportunities in training, employment and entrepreneurship.”

As of December 2015, IICD will no longer be the implementing partner for TizaaWorks. This comes as the organisation ceases operations in The Hague and transitions its current open programs to local partners.

Commenting on the transition, Ewelina Szopinska at IICD says: “At IICD, we are confident that under the new leadership of the World Vision team, TizaaWorks will continue to make a difference for youth on their pathway to fulfilling their employment and entrepreneurship endeavours.

We wish the best of luck to the new implementing partner, and to the youth in Ghana – many meaningful opportunities for professional development. We would strongly like to add a thank you to Microsoft for the collaboration and gratitude to all local partners who supported TizaaWorks  in 2015”

As World Vision takes over as the new implementing partner, the partnership is set to be collaboration with World Vision Ghana’s existing programs. The aim is to equip 20 000 disadvantaged youth from rural communities across the country with employability skills to prepare them for the job market.

Andrew Ofosu-Dankyi, Education Specialist from World Vision Ghana is thrilled to be partnering with Microsoft on the TizaaWorks platform.

“With our development interventions already benefitting over four million children and their families, our hope is that this partnership will deepen our objectice to ensure rural youth acquire relevant employability and entrepreneurial skills. In addition, the project will expose these youth to flexible ICT education, which will help them to match competitively with their counterparts in the cities.”

Please refer to IICD’s legacy website: www.iicd.org, which aims to celebrate and leave a testimony of IICD’s record of work.

 

Microsoft in Ghana: Brief Summary of Impact in Ghana

Microsoft has been operating in Ghana for 10 years, continues to recognize the long-term growth opportunities in the country and we have made significant investments to date in Ghana especially in education, the youth and the communities.
 

We have seen tremendous growth in broadband availability and internet penetration in Ghana, which has the highest mobile penetration rate on the continent (an estimated 112%, according to ITU). Microsoft is excited to play an active role in this transformation, using technology to lead economic and social transformation in the country.
 

Through its programs in Ghana, Microsoft has:
 

·                     trained 15, 000 teachers

·                     reached over one million students

·                     created over 1, 800 jobs, and

·                     supported 35 successful startups in Ghana.

 

One of Microsoft’s core projects in the country is its partnership with the Ghanaian Ministry of Education and the British Council, to set up ICT hubs in local schools and communities to accelerate digital literacy across the country.

Falling under a regional project called Badiliko, 17 digital hubs have been created in Ghana and Microsoft has trained 26 local Master Trainers who are serving as Digital Ambassadors and School Leader Facilitators in the hubs, helping over 1,700 people in Ghana become trained to date.  

 

IICD in Ghana: Brief Summary of Impact in Ghana

IICD was an international expert organization, which specialized in leveraging technology for social and economic development. 

By connecting people to sustainable technology, IICD made it possible for people to learn, work and earn in a smart way. IICD’s approach in ICT4D was based on bottom-up innovation that involved all critical stakeholders, including customers.

In Ghana IICD worked for 17 years. During the last 5 years our programs directly benefited over 6000 people and impacted 362,500 Ghanaians.

IICD ceased its operations in December 2015. The legacy website: www.iicd.org celebrates IICD’s achievements in the field of ICT4Development.

Source: Peacefmonline.com