Sunyani,– Professor Solomon Korantwi-Barimah, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the Sunyani Technical University (STU) has called on Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) Institutions to partner with Technical Universities (TUs) in producing quality human resource base required to push the nation’s industrialization drive.
An effective collaboration, he explained, was necessary because that would pave the way for TVET establishments to churn-out quality graduates to be admitted into the TUs in the country.
This would put TVET institutions in a better position in making them relevant in the nation’s competitive educational structure.
Prof. Korantwi-Barimah made the call when he addressed the opening session of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Network on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NETTVET), underway in Sunyani.
The two-day AGM is on the theme: “Strategic and Effective Planning of TVET in the Midst of COVID-19: the Role of NETTVET in National Development Industrialization”, and is being attended by heads of the various vocational and technical institutions in the country.
Prof. Korantwi-Barimah explained that STU had established a similar partnership with the Nkoranza Senior High and Technical School, saying, the partnership had partly motivated and improved the school’s academic scope and settings.
Under the partnership, the Pro-Vice Chancellor explained the STU had offered capacity training to empower staff and provide chances for the technical school to produce qualified students to be admitted into the university.
“We thank God TUs are now spread across the regions and we must take advantage of the situation and build partnerships to make us more relevant”, Prof Korantwi-Barimah told the AGM”.
Though he indicated the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) was making TVET more responsive to the labour market, there was the need for the vocational and technical institutions to also make the sector attractive and change negative perceptions.
“The Free Senior High School confirms the belief that the development of the individual, and for that matter the nation, rests squarely on a highly literate society. Any form of education, therefore, deserves critical attention”, he said.
Prof. Korantwi-Barimah however, expressed unhappiness that investments and injection of funding had gone into grammar education to the neglect of TVET, saying, TVET had large constituents requiring attention to develop because the sector had the potential to transform the economy.
Ms Linda Agyei, the Director, Vocational Training for Female Programme said TVET remained relevant to facilitating accelerated national development, hence, the need to improve infrastructure in TVET to make the sector attractive.
“TVET institutions ought to be made attractive to students and motivate them to pursue TVET programmes to the highest level”, she said.
Established in 2009, Engineer Philip Effah Attakora, the National Coordinator explained NETTVET aimed at forming a formidable force of TVET institutions and enhancing effective delivery of TVET and promoting gainful employment of the youth.
Mrs. Perfect Aku Fiakwadzo, the Principal of the Ho Community Development Vocational and Technical Institute expressed worry admissions into the TVET institutions had slowed down and decreased because TUs were pursuing courses of TVET institutions.
She, therefore, called on the TUs to concentrate on achieving their mandates, and allowed the TVET institutions to run courses within their curricula.
Source: Ghana News Agency