The Ghana Scholarships Secretariat is processing scholarships for civil servants who want to upgrade their academic credentials at the tertiary level in the country to enhance their capacity and improve productivity.
Under the arrangement, qualified staff of the civil service would be sponsored to pursue diplomas, bachelors, masters and PhD programmes in accredited tertiary institutions, both public and private.
Aside from these, others would be sponsored to undertake short courses in the form of continuous professional development (CPD) usually required as members of professional bodies.
The Registrar of the Scholarships Secretariat, Mr. Kingsley Agyemang, and the Head of the Civil Service, Nana Kwasi Agyekum Dwamena, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the commencement of the process.
Directive
The agreement is a strategic directive of the Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as part of government efforts to offer civil servants the opportunity to add to their knowledge and also benefit from government scholarship.
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“Dr. Bawumia believes this training is very important because as part of efforts to make our institutions stronger, we cannot forget the people. That is the human resource aspect. It is, therefore, important that we put in place measures to help build on their capacities,” Mr. Agyemang said.
He added that once such civil servants were upgraded academically, it would boost their confidence and help in productivity as well.
He said that would offer those without certificates the opportunity to acquire diplomas, those with diplomas to upgrade to degrees, while those having degrees could add to their degrees “because if they acquire knowledge it comes with confidence and trust in what they do”.
Initiative
Nana Agyekum Dwamena commended the Vice-President for the initiative, and said civil servants played a crucial role in the development process and that any move to upgrade their knowledge and skills would benefit the country.
“A lot is changing in this world and as such we are bound to encounter a lot of challenges. So I find this collaboration very important because it will help us address some of these challenges,” he added.
While thanking Dr. Bawumia for accepting the proposal of the civil service, Mr. Dwamena urged all civil servants to apply when the time was due.
He assured all staff of the service that the process would be transparent.
Mode of programme
The programme, which is expected to take off next year, will give scholarships to about 100 civil servants annually.
Beneficiaries will be bonded to serve for a minimum of two years after the sponsorship before they can exit, if that becomes necessary.
The Head of the Civil Service said the service would undertake periodic monitoring of the programme in line with established guidelines on studies.
