Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum swearing in the sector heads
GOVERNMENT, THROUGH the Ministry of Education, has inaugurated eight (8) new secretariats for some sectors under the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET).
These include Renewable and Energy Efficiency, Pharmaceutical Automotive, Oil and Gas, Informational and Communication Technology (ICT), Textile Apparel and Garment, Healthcare, Logistics, and Transport.
The sector skill bodies are mandated to lead, coordinate and bring the expertise of industry actors on board to transform and support skills development and create better employment opportunities for the youth.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony held Friday in Accra, on the theme, “Building Skills For Industry”, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, Minister of Education, said the establishment of the sector skill bodies (SSB) was an essential vehicle that brought together relevant private sector industries, industry professional bodies, private sector industries, and government institutions to explore and address the needs of the present and future workforce.
“This is indeed one of the surest ways by which we can all together tackle the skills mismatch challenges between what is needed in the industry and what is being supplied by the training institutes,” he said.
Dr. Adutwum charged the bodies to develop and produce a demand-driven and robust labour market and make good recommendations to the COTVET to ensure that qualification, curriculum, and learning materials reflected the occupational standards.
He expressed confidence that the SSBs and the private sector industries would put their energies into implementing outlines that would inure to the development of a highly-skilled workforce, increase employment and productivity, as well as decent work for the youth.
Acting Director-General of COTVET, Fred Kyei Asamoah, in a remark, said the inauguration of the SSBs membership was testament to the government’s commitment to strengthening TVETs to better enable their skilled workforce to contribute to national development.
He further stated that the Education Ministry through COTVET was ensuring that the industry led the way in terms of skills training, through the setting up of SSBs to focus on the exploration of business opportunities, innovation and capacity needs within identified sectors of the economy.
Mr. Asamaoh called on other interested development partners and industry actors to invest in the commission for TVET to create more employment opportunities for the youth.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke