Minister announces construction of 10 new technical institutions

The Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technical Vocational Education and Training, (TVET), Mrs Gifty Twum-Ampofo, has disclosed that 10 new technical institutions, including one each for the new regions, would be constructed while four existing technical institutes would also be renovated.

Also significant will be the creation of the office of a director of the service (TVET) and a TVET Council to deal with issues affecting TVET education.

Mrs Twum-Ampofo made this known when she addressed the 35th Conference of the Association of Principals of Technical Institutions (APTI) in Cape Coast last Tuesday.

It was held on the theme: “Sound Technical /Vocational Education and Training (TVET), a prerequisite for industrialisation and national development.”

She said the restructuring would also look at curricula and work on facilitating accreditation for more courses and for effective coordination, certification and standardisation for the TVET.

Mrs Twum-Ampofo noted that the restructuring of the nation’s TVET would put it as the driver of the nation’s economic growth and propel the nation into economic prosperity.

Redeeming misconception

As part of the efforts, Mrs Twum-Ampofo said the ministry would work on a major campaign to reorientate Ghanaians on the relevance of TVET and redeem the misconception that TVET was inferior.

The Deputy Central Regional Minister, Mr Thomas Adjei-Baffoe, in his address noted that the dynamics in TVET had become more complex and that it was important for global information technology trends and how those could be incorporated into training of graduates to meet industrial demands.

He said the government believed in the private sector-led industrial development and was putting in place resilient and interconnected development policies and programmes to improve industrial development and job creation.

Mr Adjei-Baffoe said curriculum and career path would also be structured to help attract more students.

The Vice Chancellor of the Cape Coast Technical University, Professor Joshua Owusu Sekyere, in his keynote address called for the motivation of staff in the TVET to encourage them to do their best.

He called for the incorporation of entrepreneurship education into TVET to make them more productive.