The Deputy High Commissioner of Australia to Ghana, Ms. Penny Dennis, has reaffirmed Australia’s support for digital inclusion and youth empowerment following her participation in the Chorkor Digital Lab (CDL) Certificate Award Ceremony in Accra, where more than 100 students graduated from certified digital skills programmes.
The High Commission joined BASICS International and industry partners to celebrate students who completed training in Computer Hardware, Networking Fundamentals, Cyber Security, and Advanced Technical Skills under the globally recognised Cisco Networking Academy framework.
Dennis participation underscored the transformative role of digital education in expanding economic opportunity and strengthening workforce readiness, particularly for young people in underserved communities. Initiatives such as the Chorkor Digital Lab demonstrate how strategic partnerships between the private sector, civil society, and international stakeholders can bridge opportunity gaps.
Chorkor, an impoverished fishing community on the outskirts of Accra, has long faced structural challenges including youth unemployment, limited educational access, and constrained economic mobility. The establishment of the Chorkor Digital Lab marks a significant intervention in addressing these systemic barriers by equipping young people with industry-relevant technical competencies.
The Lab, established through a partnership between Cisco and BASICS International, is affiliated with the Cisco Networking Academy, a globally recognised platform that delivers professional IT certifications and technical training. Through this collaboration, youth in Chorkor are gaining internationally benchmarked digital skills that enhance their competitiveness in both local and global labour markets.
Beyond technical training, the initiative represents a broader development model that aligns digital transformation with social inclusion. By embedding advanced ICT training within a marginalized coastal community, the programme seeks to reposition digital literacy as a tool for upward mobility rather than a privilege reserved for urban elites.
The impact of the initiative has also been documented through strategic storytelling. In 2024, DoGoodFilms, an international media production and communications agency specialising in development, advocacy, and humanitarian media, produced a documentary video on the Chorkor Digital Lab on assignment with Cisco. The production highlighted the personal stories of beneficiaries and showcased how access to technology can reshape futures.
With a team of creatives operating across two continents, DoGoodFilms delivers multimedia content, including video, animation, text, and photography, that combines purpose-driven narratives with award-winning creativity. Their involvement underscores the importance of visibility and global advocacy in sustaining development interventions.
The Chorkor Digital Lab initiative reflects a growing recognition within diplomatic and development circles that digital skills are no longer optional but foundational to economic resilience. As Ghana advances its digital transformation agenda, partnerships such as this position vulnerable communities to participate meaningfully in the emerging knowledge economy.
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