Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, paid a working visit to the Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU) in the Central Region.
The visit was to inspect ongoing projects under the Ghana-China Project on ‘The Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Equipment in Technical Universities and Technical Institutes’.
The project is being implemented to improve the employability of the Ghanaian youth by providing them with the relevant skills and competencies required for self and formal employment.
This project will see the provision of state-of-the-art tools and equipment to 13 Technical Institutes and all the Technical Universities across the country; as well as the construction of a Technical Examinations Unit Block (TEUB) at the Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED).
The current project at the Cape Coast Technical University which is about 95% complete includes a fully equipped automobile workshop, a civil engineering workshop, a mechanical engineering workshop, an electrical and electronics workshop, and a welding workshop.
All the tools and equipment being installed in these workshops are state-of-the-art industry-standard equipment which will ensure that students who graduate from these institutions have industry-ready skills.
The Minister during the tour noted that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s government sees education, especially Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), as the key to transforming Ghana and thus has prioritized these areas to make them the bedrock of Ghana’s industrialization agenda.
He also stated that the university should identify and align specific industry partners for the various workshops.
Acting Director-General of CTVET, Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah indicated that the Commission for TVET as the regulatory agency for the TVET sector will ensure that the institutions which are benefitting from the project would follow the required occupational and industry standard in the delivery of TVET using the facilities.
The Vice-Chancellor of CCTU, Prof. Joshua Danso Owusu-Sekyere expressed gratitude to the government and Ministry of Education for giving new life and breathe to TVET through the effective implementation of this project.
He pledged that the university will put the workshops to good use.
So far the Government of Ghana is upgrading several Technical Universities and Technical Institutes by the construction of workshops, and supply/installation of equipment for the use of these institutions in the delivery of their mandate.
The project is designed to support Government’s efforts within the context of the Human Capital Development priorities and to resolve key development challenges of low quality of skills produced by the Technical and Vocational Education and Training subsector in the country.
Parliament in March 2018 approved by resolution the concessional loan agreement between the government of Ghana and the EXIM Bank of China for an amount of US$119 million to finance ‘The Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Equipment in Polytechnics and Technical Institutes’ (Including Technical Universities/Polytechnics) project.
Subsequently, Parliament in July 2018 approved by resolution the supplementary contract agreement as well as the commercial contract between the government of Ghana and AVIC International Holding Corporation of China for the implementation of the project.
BY Daniel Bampoe