TVET has potential to drive socio-economic transformation — President Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated the government’s determination to strengthen the country’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) since it has the potential to drive socio-economic transformation and accelerate national development.
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He said the past few years had positioned TVET to be responsive to the demands of the changing world of work.
“These include the review of the current curriculum, provision of state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities, strengthening industry collaboration, quality assurance and shaping the public perception and mindset about TVET,” he emphasised.
“Through these policy initiatives, the existential challenges of TVET are gradually becoming a thing of the past with the focus shifting to emerging technologies, current industry practices and market demands,” he noted.
MAMTECH @ 100
This was contained in a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah, during the centenary anniversary of the Mampong Technical College of Education (MAMTECH) at Mampong in the Ashanti Region, last Saturday.
He spoke on the theme: “The role of technical and vocational education and training in the national development agenda”.
The Chief of Mampong, Daasebre Osei Bonsu, and the Member of Parliament (MP) of Mampong, Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong, as well as some old students of the college, were present.
According to the President, global pieces of evidence were clear, citing Germany, Singapore and the Asian Tigers as examples, that TVET equipped trainees with the practical hands-on training to establish their own businesses, thereby creating employment opportunities for job seekers.
The principal of the school, Doris Boakye Ansah, said 10 decades of relevance and commitment to producing top-notch teachers had been extremely astonishing and satisfying.
“Hundred years of nurturing great minds, talents and results-oriented graduates, who are breaking frontiers and making significant contributions to the development of our nation Ghana, and the world at large, is no mean achievement,” she noted.
Challenges
Mrs Ansah, while hammering on some of the challenges of the college, reminded President Akufo-Addo of his promise at the 83rd birthday of Nana Mamponghene, to build an ultra-modern auditorium for the college.
Again, she said the college required financial clearance to recruit critical staff, adding that the lack of accommodation for teachers remained a huge task for the college.
She said in commemoration of their centenary anniversary, the college intended to build a 3,500-capacity auditorium and appealed to old students and benevolent individuals and organisations to support the initiative.
