The landscape of Technical and Vocational Training in the country is evolving, as reported by the Ministry of Education. In the academic calendar of 2023/2024, a remarkable total of 60,481 new students have enrolled in various Government TVET institutions that offer free TVET programs. This is a significant increase compared to the less than 20,000 students who enrolled annually before 2017.
Professor Mark Adom Asamoah, the STEM Policy Adviser at the Ministry of Education, highlighted the importance of this surge in enrollment. The total number of enrollments in Government TVET institutions now exceeds 157,681, showcasing the substantial investment made in TVET over the past seven years.
The extensive upgrades and modernization of all 34 National Vocational and Technical Institutes (NVTIs), along with the Head Office and 10 Regional Offices, 5 apprenticeship offices nationwide, and the Opportunity Industrialization Center in Accra, have been a priority. This includes the construction, rehabilitation, and equipping of laboratories, workshops, additional classrooms, hostels, and administrative offices. With an investment of 123 million euros, these projects are set to be completed by July 2022. Furthermore, the establishment of two new foundries and machining centres, one at CSIR (Accra) and the other at KNUST in Kumasi, will be finalized this year.
Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, the Director General of the Commission of Technical and Vocational Education Training, emphasized the government’s significant financial commitment to TVET. Speaking at a TVET Symposium themed “Enhancing TVET and Skills Development Towards Sustainable and Decent Job Creation,” Dr. Kyei Asamoah reiterated the government’s dedication to supporting technical and vocational education to create more job opportunities for the youth.
Source: Oyerepafmonline.com/Bernard K Dadzie
