"Let's embrace vocational, technical education"
The Executive Director of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET), Mr Sebastian Deh, has challenged administrators of technical and vocational training institutions in the country to embrace the reforms currently being implemented in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector.
Advertisement
According to him, the objective of the reforms was to ensure that training institutions offered programmes that were of relevance to industry and the socio-economic development of the country.
“We will not force anyone to implement the reforms but the fact is that the bus is moving and you better join it or be left behind,” he said.
According to him, a key part of the reforms was the introduction of competency-based training (CBT) which must be implemented by training institutions if they were to remain relevant.
The CBT, as a mode of training, emphasises close collaboration between training institutions and industry in curriculum development, as well as laying emphasis on hands-on practical training.
Mr Deh was speaking at a one-day workshop in Kumasi organised by COTVET under the ‘Development of Skills for Industry Project’ (DSIP).
The workshop was held to sensitise stakeholders to the roll-out of the COTVET Role Model Programme and was attended by principals of training institutions, rectors of polytechnic, policy makers and some students.
The Technical Assistant of the DSIP, Ms Gertrude Addo, said role models had been engaged by COTVET to interact with the youth and encourage them to engage in technical and vocational professions.
The DSIP, under COTVET, has a focus of increasing female participation and enrolment in TVET through concepts such as the role model programme.
The project is funded with financial support of US$125 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and a GoG contribution of US$11.5 million.