The Ghana Statistical Service has completed a nine-day training of national trainers for the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC).

Following the completion of the training, a competitive merit-based selection process will determine the final list of national trainers for the 2021 PHC, the statistical service said in a statement.

The purpose of the national training was 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 was conducted in eight regions, brought together prospective national trainers from all the regions of the country.

The residential workshop, which started on 8 April, ended on Friday, 16 April 2021.

The residential training marked the final phase of training for national trainers following three months of self-learning and 15 days of live virtual training.

According to the Ghana Statistical Service, the purpose of engaging prospective trainers for prolonged periods for the 2021 PHC, is to ensure that they develop a firm grasp of the census methodology and enumeration procedures to ensure that quality training is delivered consistently at all levels and at all training centres.

In a statement read on behalf of the GSS management, the trainees were urged to use the time after the training to continue to study and master the field officer’s manual, training slides, and the trainer’s guide that they will be using to train others.

They were reminded of their role in ensuring that there is comprehensive and complete coverage as well as quality data when data collection begins in June.

The national trainers will be responsible for training the regional trainers who, will directly train the approximately 75,000 field officers to be deployed for the census exercise.

The census begins on Monday, 28 June 2021 in accordance with Clause 3 of the Statistical Service Act, 2019 (Act 1003).