Prof. Kwesi Yankah
Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah has stated that the government is willing and committed to support technical universities in the country.
“Government of Ghana understands and appreciates the importance of technical and vocational education to national development”, he maintained.
Professor Yankah who was speaking at the 13th graduation ceremony of the Cape Coast Technical University assured that government will not relent on its efforts to supply the technical universities with what they require to enable them perform their roles effectively, be it infrastructure.
He noted that with the commencement of the Free SHS policy, it is expected that enrollment will increase at the technical universities in the near future.
Whilst advising management of the various technical universities to introduce new programmes, he said the development of the nation depends on technical and vocational education, and therefore urged technical universities to stick to their core mandate and desist from running courses that have no bearing on their foundation.
The Vice Chancellor of Cape Coast Technical University, Professor Lawrence Atepor appealed to the Ministry of Education to speed up process of converting Cape Coast Polytechnic into a technical university, which is currently awaiting parliamentary approval.
He highlighted the challenges facing the university including deplorable students hostel, recruitment of staff, lack of governing council and the need to adequately resource the university laboratories.
He however announced that the university has acquired a 200-acre land along the Mankessim – Winneba Highway to set up a satellite campus to introduce degree programmes.
He said the university has partnered the Barbara Asher Foundation and others to establish the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation (CEDI) to run (TVET) skills acquisition training programme where over hundred have benefited.
Francis Albert Seth Nyonyo, a member of the council of state, advised technical universities to design programmes that will train students to provide technical support to the factories that will be established under the “one-district-one factory ” programme to help create employment for a greater percentage of graduates.
A total of 1,126 graduands made up of 50 Bachelor of Technology,942 Higher National Diploma,63 professional and 71 Diploma certificate students who pursued programmes in Engineering, Applied Science and Arts and Business, and Management studies graduated.
By Kwame Kakraba Onua FM |3news.com
Read Full Story
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Google+
YouTube
LinkedIn
RSS