"Correct wrong mindset about vocational and technical training"-Vice-President

Vice President John Dramani Mahama has said it was time Ghanaians overcome the erroneous mindset about vocational and technical training.

“As a country it is time we depart from the erroneous mindset about vocational and technical training”, he said.

The Vice President made the call in an address at the first speech day of Dr. Adlise Ivey Porter AME Zion Vocational Institute (AMEZVOC) at Klikor, in the Ketu South District.

It was on the theme “equipping the youth for wealth creation through vocational training”.

Vice-President Mahama said Government holds a contrary view in conformity with 2004 UNESCO declaration that identifies vocational and technical training as the master key to the socio-economic development of every nation.

He said government has therefore earmarked a 35 million US dollar budgetary allocation this year to retool the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) for an expanded apprenticeship and vocational training.

He said in addition, a Social Development Fund (SDF) has been set up under the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) for skills training for the youth and urged them to take advantage of all the various interventions by government.

The Vice President commended the founders of the school for their vision of equipping the youth of the area with vocational skills and further asked students and tutors of the school to maintain the discipline and hard work in furtherance of the focus of the founders of the Institute.

Reverend Samuel Setor, Headmaster of the school appealed to government to consider absorbing the school into the public sector to help upgrade its infrastructure and recruit more teachers to improve on enrollment.

He said the school, which was established in 1997 with six students, currently has just 112 students and therefore demanded a vigorous expansion.**