Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim, Government Statistician
The final phase of training of National Trainers for the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) will commence on Thursday 8th April 2021. The residential training workshop will last until Friday, 16th April, 2021.
The purpose of the training is to equip prospective trainers with the requisite knowledge, skills and competencies to train regional trainers who in turn will train enumerators and supervisors. The training, which will be conducted in eight regions will bring together prospective National Trainers from all regions of the country.
The training workshop is a culmination of months-long engagement with prospective National Trainers who have participated in a three-month virtual self-learning and a 15-day live virtual training.
After a competitive screening process, 1,373 trainees were selected from 1,744 participants for the virtual training workshop. In pursuance of our targeted goal, the National Trainers for the 2021 PHC would be selected based on performance on assessments, participation in class discussions, attitude and conduct, attendance, punctuality, and results of field practice.
Three categories of trainers (Master Trainers, National Trainers and Regional Trainers) have been identified and would be utilised for the training exercise. National Trainers are crucial to the success of the 2021 PHC training strategy which aims for quality standardised training at all levels and in the selected training centres.
The National Trainers will train the Regional Trainers who are also responsible for training the approximately 75,000 Field Officers ahead of the data collection for the Census.
The Census Night date for the 2021 PHC has been set on 27th June 2021.
The Service has also done a breakdown of the number of prospective applicants from the various regions as follows;
83 prospective trainers from the Western Region will be trained in Takoradi; 114 prospective trainers from the Central Region will be trained in Winneba; whereas180 prospective trainers from the Greater Accra Region will be trained in Accra; 247 prospective trainers from the Eastern, Oti and Volta regions will be trained in Ho; and 270 prospective trainers from the Ashanti region will be trained in Kumasi.
Others are 188 prospective trainers from the Ahafo, Bono, Bono East and Western North regions to be trained in Sunyani; 151 prospective trainers from the Upper East, Upper West and Savannah regions to be trained in Wa.
Also, 142 prospective trainers from the Northern and North East regions will be trained in Tamale.
The conduct of the Census is in accordance with Clause 3 of the Statistical Service Act, 2019 (Act 1003).
