Govt to roll out comprehensive TVET transformation agenda — Dr Apaak

The government will roll out a comprehensive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) transformation agenda, the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Abas Apaak, has disclosed.

The agenda will be in the form of funding and improving TVET education, enterprise development and job creation, as well as TVET instructor development.

Anniversary durbar

Dr Apaak said this while delivering the keynote address during a grand durbar to climax the 25th anniversary of the Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) in the Upper East Region last Friday.

The well-attended ceremony was on the theme: “25 years of technical education: Impact, challenges and prospects”.

As part of the anniversary, the university unveiled a plan towards the construction of a new 1,920-student-capacity lecture hall and office complex.

Objectives

He stated that the new TVET agenda was aimed at upgrading technical university facilities by modernising laboratories, workshops and classrooms to meet international standards and enhance teaching and learning.

He added that there would be enhancement of instructor capacity, which would be achieved by providing training and capacity-building programmes for faculty members to improve teaching methodologies and research output.

“There would be an expansion of scholarship opportunities, as there would be an increase in government support for students in technical fields, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM),” he said.

He stressed that entrepreneurship and innovation would be encouraged through the provision of financial support, incubation centres and mentorship programmes to help graduates transition into self-employment, among others.

Priorities

He stated that countries that had prioritised technical education had experienced significant advancements in their industrial sectors, job creation and technological innovation.

That, he said, was the reason why the NDC government was committed to revitalising and expanding access to technical and vocational education to ensure that Ghana’s workforce was globally competitive and adequately prepared for the demands of the modern economy.

Evolution

The Upper East Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga, said BTU had evolved over the years and stood the test of time in producing competitive and qualified graduates who had excelled in various fields of endeavour in the country.

He stated that the university had created a niche as an institution that nurtures entrepreneurship development as a panacea to addressing the challenges of unemployment among the teeming youth.

The regional minister used the occasion to congratulate past and present management for reaching such a remarkable milestone. 

Glowing tribute

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Samuel Erasmus Alnaa, paid glowing tribute to the founding Principal, Robert A. Ajene, and subsequent heads and staff who sacrificed their lives towards the growth and development of the institution.

He stated that the university which started with three staff and three academic programmes currently had a staff strength of 326, both teaching and non-teaching, as well as running more than 70 academic programmes.

The Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Area, Tongraan Kugbilsong Nanlebegtang, who chaired the event, underscored the need for technical and vocational education to be given special attention to drive the progress of the country.