ICT key to national development, says PM Phillips
Prime Minister Mark Phillips and regional officials with the participants
Prime Minister Mark Phillips and regional officials with the participants

PRIME Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips, on Saturday, told a gathering in Region Two that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills are key for national development.

He was, at the time, speaking at an ICT summer camp graduation held at the Cotton Field Secondary School. The summer camp was organised by the Office of the Prime Minister through the Innovation Unit of the Prime Minister and attracted 56 young persons from various communities in Region Two.

The camp which commenced on August 8 and concluded on August 13 was held under the theme “Creating a brighter future through ICT” at Cotton Field Secondary School. Participants were taught basic Information Technology skill, Web Development, Cyber Security, Robotics, Python and STEM.

Addressing the audience of parents and participants, Prime Minister Phillips said the Office of the Prime Minister will continue to invest in the IT sector. Region Two, he noted was the first region to host the ICT summer camps and similar camps will be done in Regions Four and Six.

He also committed that his office will be making more investments in 2023 to train more persons in ICT, bridging the digital gap. He said that the aim was to ensure that ICT skills were imparted to persons in the most isolated communities.

He, therefore, urged participants to use the knowledge to move on to a higher level. The Prime Minister also said that most of the jobs available also require basic ICT skills and the training served as an opportunity to learn those skills.

He also spoke about making Free Wifi services available in the region through his office. The installation of the devices has enabled persons within the communities to have access to the Internet.

Meanwhile, Region Two Chairperson, Vilma De Silva said that tremendous transformation was ongoing in the region. She said the Government was investing heavily in the education sector and youths were part of the transformation. She further mentioned the transformation was possible because of the investment in the education sector.

Director of Industry and Innovation Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister, Shahrukh Hussain, in brief remarks, said that over 1,000 youths were trained in ICT. He also used the opportunity to congratulate the participants and urged them to ensure they continue to further their studies in the field of Information Technology.

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