TVET National Skills Competition Ends in Accra

By Lawrence Markwei and Abeduwaa Lucy Appiah

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is poised to become the wheels on which Ghana's economy would develop faster in the future, Barbara Asher Ayisi, Deputy Minister of Education in charge of (TVET) has said.

She said with current government's policy of having one factory in every district, the focus would be on skills training to fill the vacancies in the factories.

Madam Ayisi said this on Friday at the closing ceremony for the maiden National Skills Competition for TVET institutions held in Accra on Friday to determine winners for various categories under the TVET.

The skills category were Manufacturing and Engineering Technology, Information Communication Technology for IT Software Solution, Fashion and Graphic Design Technologies, construction and Building Technologies, Transportation and Logistics, and Social / Personal Services from which three winners were selected for category.

The about 70 participants selected from zonal competitions in the Northern and Southern sectors of the country who participated in the grand finale were all given a cash prize of GH¢500.00 sponsored by the National Youth Authority (NYA) and a certificate of participation.

The third positions were given GH¢1,000.00 with second positions awarded with GH¢1,500.00, however, the overall winners in the various categories were given a cash prize of GH¢ 5,000.00 with the opportunity of representing Ghana in the African contest in Kigali, a few months away.

Special awards were given to 1st and 2nd positions in Mechatronics to do two weeks internship training in Italy.

Commending the students for a good work done, Madam Ayisi said the competition would be a window not only to unearth talents in TVET education but to give a window of hope to the students that their choice of education was the future for Ghana's industrial development.

She said the competition was also meant to show how important skills education and training was for the youth, industries and society by challenging young professionals to become the best in the skill of their choice.

Madam Ayisi said the competition was to give the young professionals the platform to raise their profile and recognition and show how important skills were in achieving economic growth and personal success.

She asked the various winners not to rest on their oars but rather put in more efforts to ensure that they excel at the Kigali, Rwanda competition and move on to the world stage in Russia next year.

Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, Executive Director of Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training Experts, commended the judges, and heads of their various institutions for the success of the programme.

He acknowledged that COTVET was well aware of some challenges encountered during the Zonal competitions adding that being a maiden competition such a challenge could not be ruled out and assured that in the future such occurrences would be corrected.

Dr Asamoah said it was his hope that the competition would contribute to the development of skills for national development, adding that it was that hope to showcase Ghana to the world skills community as a skilful nation.

The maiden competition organised under the auspices of COTVET was sponsored by the European Union, Germany, Switzerland, FC Beauty College, Amatrol, Delorenzo, with support from both Accra and Kumasi technical universities.

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