MTN Ghana Pushes Digital Integration in Vocational Education
MTN Ghana blends digital innovation with vocational training under its 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign, empowering students and supporting deprived schools with essential learning tools and uniforms
As part of its ongoing 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign, MTN Ghana is leading efforts to integrate digital tools into vocational training across the country.
The initiative forms part of the company’s commitment to empowering young people with practical skills that are aligned with the demands of today’s digital economy.
By targeting technical institutions like the Opportunity Industrialisation Centre (OIC), MTN is reinforcing the importance of merging technology with hands-on learning to foster long-term community development.
Bridging Communities with Digital Tools
This year’s Y’ello Care campaign is themed “Connecting at the Root: Connecting Communities Through the Use of Digital Tools.”
The campaign is focused on empowering underserved communities by introducing them to emerging technologies that can transform livelihoods and open up new economic opportunities.
MTN is leveraging its network of employee volunteers to provide digital education, foster innovation, and drive inclusion at the grassroots level.
Practical Tech Meets Hands-On Learning at OIC Accra
On Day 5 of the campaign, MTN Ghana staff visited the OIC campus in Accra, where they joined students in classroom and workshop activities.
The engagement was not just symbolic; it was deeply practical. Staff volunteers participated in the school’s sewing department, guiding students through projects while also introducing them to basic digital applications relevant to their trade. The visit formed part of MTN’s broader strategy to make vocational training more responsive to 21st-century demands.
Empowering Youth with Emerging Technologies
Speaking during the visit, Mr. Ebenezer Terkpeh, Education Portfolio Advisor at the MTN Ghana Foundation, emphasized the significance of integrating digital technologies into traditional TVET programmes. “We’re not just here to observe or donate—we’re here to share knowledge and bridge the digital gap,” he stated.
He explained that the aim is to help students understand how modern tools can amplify their impact in fields like fashion design, catering, and mechanical work.
From Buttons to Bytes: AI, IoT Introduced in Vocational Classes
MTN’s volunteers went beyond assisting with tailoring and sewing tasks—they also engaged students in discussions about how digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are transforming their respective fields.
For instance, students were introduced to automated sewing machines, smart kitchen systems, and digital diagnostic tools for auto repairs. These demonstrations sparked curiosity and highlighted the relevance of digital literacy in vocational careers.
Quality and Impact: Uniform Production for Deprived Schools
As part of the 2024 Y’ello Care activities, MTN Ghana is supporting the production of 500 school uniforms for children in deprived communities, especially in the Central Region. An additional 200 uniforms are being sewn at the OIC branch in Kumasi.
Beyond meeting an urgent social need, the initiative is also a training opportunity, helping students apply their skills under professional quality standards. MTN is working closely with instructors to ensure the garments meet high finishing criteria, thereby building students’ discipline and sense of excellence.
Looking Ahead: 2025 Campaign to Deepen Community Support
Mr. Terkpeh also indicated a more ambitious outreach plan for the upcoming year. The 2025 Y’ello Care campaign is set to include initiatives such as installing computers in rural schools, supporting the construction of shelters for vulnerable women, education in farming and technology, and undertaking additional volunteer-driven environmental projects.
These future activities underscore MTN’s holistic approach to community development—addressing both immediate needs and long-term capacity building.
18 Years of Purpose: Y’ello Care Sets Corporate Volunteerism Standard
Now in its 18th year, the 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign has become a defining example of corporate volunteerism in Ghana.
What began as a staff engagement initiative has evolved into a nationwide movement mobilizing MTN employees to serve as changemakers. With each passing year, the campaign expands its impact, setting a high bar for corporate social responsibility in Africa’s telecom sector.
Principal Commends MTN’s Practical Support to TVET Education
Mr. Mawuli Sogbey, Principal of the Opportunity Industrialisation Technical Institute, commended MTN for its practical engagement.
He revealed that 283 school uniforms are already being produced by the school’s fashion department for children in need—a project made possible through MTN’s support.
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He lauded the initiative for offering students hands-on experience and enhancing the reputation of vocational institutions as active contributors to national development.
Reframing TVET: A Call to Value Skills-Based Education
The principal also used the platform to challenge outdated perceptions of technical and vocational education (TVET). “That erroneous impression that TVET is only for the less academic is outdated,” Mr. Sogbey asserted.
He called on parents and stakeholders to recognize that skilled professions now offer competitive career paths in today’s economy.
Technical education, he noted, equips young people with both practical and academic tools—allowing them to either pursue further education or launch their own ventures with confidence.
Source: Isaac Kofi Dzokpo
