By Edward Dankwah
Accra, Oct. 11, GNA – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is promoting affordable online education to help Ghanaian and other African youth overcome barriers to higher education and access employment opportunities in the global digital economy.
Elder Clark G. Gilbert, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church, said online learning and affordable training in market-relevant fields could equip young people with skills to compete beyond their local economies.
Elder Gilbert was speaking at a special televised broadcast titled: “Faith, Education, Opportunity: The Future of West Africa” in Accra.
He said the approach was particularly important in Africa, where a large and growing youth population was entering labour markets with insufficient employment opportunities.
“Talent is equally distributed, but opportunities are not,” Elder Gilbert said, stressing the role of education in bridging the gap between talent and access to opportunities.
He cited BYU-Pathway Worldwide, an online higher education programme operated by the Church, as an example of how technology could expand access to tertiary education.
He said the programme began in Accra in 2011 and had since expanded across Africa, with nearly 40,000 students enrolled across West Africa.
Elder Gilbert said students could pursue programmes in accounting, project management, social media marketing, digital marketing, and healthcare management through the initiative.
He said the programme allowed students to begin with job-skills certificates before progressing to higher qualifications, enabling them to develop relevant competencies in stages.
He said the online structure also reduced some of the costs associated with conventional university education, making higher education more accessible to young people.
He said a bachelor’s degree through BYU-Pathway could cost about one-tenth of the cost of studying in the United States.
Elder Gilbert said Church facilities could also provide students with internet connectivity, helping to address some of the practical challenges associated with online learning.
He emphasised that the programme was open to people beyond the Church’s membership, allowing young people from different religious backgrounds to benefit.
He said the value of education should be measured by what graduates could do with their qualifications, including securing jobs, establishing businesses, and contributing to their communities.
The initiative comes as Ghana places increasing emphasis on linking youth skills development with employment, entrepreneurship, and sustainable career opportunities.
Elder Gilbert said the growth of remote work could allow skilled Africans to provide services to companies and organisations abroad while remaining on the continent, helping countries retain talent and earn income from global markets.
He said education must be complemented by discipline, communication skills, leadership qualities, and a strong work ethic to enable young people to take advantage of available opportunities.
“Education makes opportunities available,” he said, adding that the goal was to equip Africa’s youth with the capabilities and opportunities to participate meaningfully in the global economy.
Mr George Opare Addo, Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, said the Government was seeking to strengthen the connections between skills training, employment, entrepreneurship, access to finance and long-term careers.
Other initiatives have also targeted digital skills, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, including a partnership between the Youth Employment Agency and Ghana Digital Centres to train 2,000 young people in high-demand digital skills, with 600 expected to receive paid internships after completing the training.
GNA
Edited by Linda Asante Agyei