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Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary

Ministry encourages youth to pursue Technical Vocational Education

The Ministry of Education has launched an initiative aimed at encouraging the youth, especially those in junior and senior high schools to pursue Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET).

Dubbed “the Role Model Programme”, the initiative is designed to heighten awareness, particularly among female students, of TVET.

Under the programme, six individuals who excelled in TVET have been chosen to inspire over 2000 students all over Ghana, using their career as evidence and guidance.

Each of the individuals, who will act as a role model, is expected to motivate students, especially those who have wrong perceptions about TVET to change and use their own talents to contribute towards national development.

The project is being spearheaded by the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) under its Development of Skills for Industry Project (DISP).

Wrong perception

In a speech read on her behalf at the launch of the initiative in Accra last Thursday, the Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, said despite the opportunities available in TVET, statistics indicated that there was a general lack of interest in technical and vocational subjects.

“A number of factors account for the low interest in TVET, including ignorance of the options available in TVET and low prestige enjoyed by the sector,” she added.

According to Prof. Opoku Agyemang, the role models were selected because of their passion, drive and commitment to mentor the youth. 

She said the “Role Model Programme” was not designed to replace curricula, but to complement it, adding that the role model education was not concerned with the imparting of knowledge.

“Rather, its aim is to expose its target groups to specific attitudes, lifestyles and outlooks, and, in particular, to individuals in which these attitudes and lifestyles are embodied,” she said.

In his welcome address, the Executive Director of COTVET, Mr Sebastian Deh, said the initiative was developed to empower the youth to choose a career based on TVET.

According to him, the poor perceptions about TVET and lack of career guidance and counselling continued to hamper the country’s effort to attain its developments goals.

The DSIP project is funded with a financial support of $ 125 million from the African Development Bank.The government’s contribution is $ 11.5 million. 

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