The holistic and accelerated development of Ghana could best be achieved through the promotion and effective management of Technical and Vocational Education and Training ( TVET ).
Mr Edmund Pinto, the Bono Regional Head of the Informal Apprenticeship Division, Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training Service (GTVETS), said this in an interview with the media after a durbar to climax the Students Representatives Council week celebration of the Social Welfare Training Institute (SWTI) in Sunyani.
Speaking with reference to the theme: “The Role of TVET in the Development of the Ghanaian Youth,” Mr Pinto said the importance of TVET to help Ghana to achieve its full development potential could not be overstated.
He said artisans like electricians, carpenters, and mechanics played key roles in the country’s efforts to achieve progress and quality of life of the public.
Mr Pinto emphasised the need for the government to make TVET thrive through the availability and accessibility of tools and equipment for the students to acquire practical skills to become well-equipped for the world of work.
He said both the Don Bosco Technical Institute at Odumase in the Sunyani West Municipality, and Sunyani Technical Institute, had been equipped with state-of-the-art workshops to train students to acquire skills in welding, fabrication, auto engineering and electrical works.
Mr Pinto commended the government for resourcing TVET institutions nationwide and assured the management and students of the Sunyani SWTI that the school would not be left out of that project.
He said the government was in the process to fully equip workshops of all TVET institutions to meet the demands of the technical and vocational industries, with the primary goal to providing quality training systems for them for efficient skills delivery by the graduates.
Rev. Dr Emmanuel Wozuame, the Principal of SWTI, mentioned challenges like scarcity of tools, inadequate infrastructure and limited space for expansion, which were hinderances to the school, however, there was a steadfast commitment to nurturing the Ghanaian youth.
He stressed the transformative power of TVET in turning raw potential to skilled artisans, technicians and professionals who become indispensable for the current and future progress of the nation.
Dr Wozuame said beyond skills acquisition, TVET ignited an entrepreneurial spirit among learners helping them to create their own jobs by establishing repair shops, launching start-ups and creating innovative business ideas, thereby becoming the driving force behind economic growth.
The SWTI, established in 1974, has a student population of more than 350, studying a range of programmes including Electrical Engineering Technology, Building Construction Technology, Hospitality and Catering Management, Motor Vehicle Engineering, Fashion Design Technology, Textiles Technology and Leather Works Technology.
GNA
NOK/CAA/ABD
26 Feb. 2024
Caption: Pictures show Mr Pinto and some students at the durbar
