Prof. Smile Dzisi, the Vice Chancellor of KTU
Prof. Smile Dzisi, the Vice Chancellor of KTU

Koforidua Technical University launches 2017 virtual industrial attachment

Koforidua Technical University (KTU) has launched its 2017 virtual industrial attachment (VIRA) programme aimed at helping over 1,000 students of the institution to acquire relevant industrial practical skills on campus.

The three-week internship, the first of its kind in any technical university in the country, is to reduce the frustration of students who have had difficulties in getting internship placement in the industry.

The programme will introduce seasoned resource persons and experts from industry who will bring relevant practical learning and teaching materials, as well as introduce the students to practical training, operations of industry and the real job market.

The launch of the VIRA attracted a large member of students of KTU, industry players and a delegation from the Accra Technical University (ATU), led by its Vice Chancellor (VC), Prof. Edmund Ameko, to understudy the module of the programme and replicate it at ATU.

Hands-on training
At the launch, the VC of KTU, Professor Mrs Smile Dzisi, said VIRA, introduced eight years ago, had been running with improvement and advancement and was targeted at establishing a sustainable link between academia and industry.

She said graduates from technical universities were supposed to be equipped with hands-on practical training to easily fit into the world of work right after completing school.

It was for such reasons, she said, that most developed countries that had renowned technical universities such as Germany, Australia, United Kingdom and some African countries such as Kenya and South Africa, had their products in high demand as compared to products from traditional universities.

“This is what Koforidua Technical University is working hard to achieve to equip our students with practical, hands-on training so that they can easily get employment or start their own business right after school.

“We have, therefore, committed huge resources both financial and human to enable us to achieve this mandate,” she stated.

She said in order to enhance the acquisition of practical skills by students, 12 faculties of the university had been attached to various industries to acquire more practical skills to impart to their students.

Enormous impact

According to Prof. Dzisi, the VIRA started in 2009 with three programmes namely marketing, computer science and purchasing and supply.

“I am proud to state that the programme over the years increased to seven - accountancy, marketing, hospitality, computer science, purchasing and supply, secretaryship and management, as well as computer networking management, she noted.”

Similarly, she stated that the participating students had also followed an annual increment in number, with over 1,000 students registered to take part in the 2016 and 2017 programmes.

“We can reliably state that the feedback from students who have taken part in the VIRA programme in previous years have shown that VIRA has been very beneficial to them in acquisition of practical skills and securing employment after school,” she stated.

She, therefore, encouraged the students to take the programme seriously by showing a high sense of involvement, commitment and maturity.

“The VIRA has come to stay and with your help, we will make Koforidua Technical University one of the best environments anyone can ever get in practical training,” Prof. Dzisi assured.

Internship is the solution

The acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Business Development, Mr Joe Tackie, congratulated Prof. Dzisi and the resource persons for the implementation of the VIRA programme at a time when the country needed a skilful workforce.

He said it was estimated that about 200 million youth globally were joining the job market annually and of this number, about 80 per cent were coming from developing countrie. The number of graduates being trained by the country’s universities annually, however, has beeen staggering.

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