Ho, Nov. 25, GNA - Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Sports has observed that Government was committed to Polytechnic education in the country.
"In line with Government's policy of re-positioning Technical and Vocational Educational and Training (TVET) in Ghana, it would continue to equip and strengthen polytechnics to enable them offer technical and practical oriented programmes to meet the demands of industry and national economy," he said.
Mr Amoah made the observation when launching the 29th Annual National Delegates Congress of Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) in Ho.
It was under the theme, "The Achievements of Polytechnic Education - Need for Government's Greater Commitment".
Mr Amoah said with regard to the commitment, polytechnics were being provided with enough funding and encouraged to offer degree programmes in science and technology.
He said competency-based training was also being emphasized and attachments to industries regularized and strengthen for students to meet the demands of the job market.
Mr Amoah said infrastructure facilities such as lecture halls, accommodation for lecturers, halls of residence, teaching and learning materials would continue to be provided for polytechnics to offer tertiary education in their own right with emphasis on practical skills needed to run a productive economy.
He said provision of such infrastructure had demonstrated Government's response to the rapidly changing labour economy and the invaluable role of polytechnics in producing the needed human resource base for the country.
Mr Amoah said it was therefore, necessary for polytechnics to recognize their unique position in the country's economy and function as such devoid of "ritual strike actions".
"It is important that you demand what is yours, but it must be done legitimately and properly not to disrupt academic work," he added. Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface, Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, in a speech read for him, said Government was aware of the current graduate unemployment situation in the country. He said though the phenomenon had given a new twist to the problem of youth unemployment facing the country, pragmatic and far reaching programmes had been initiated to improve on the situation. Alhaji Boniface said On-the-Job Training Programme (OJP) and facilitating of meetings between employers, managers and educational institutions to forge partnerships to discuss issues relating relevant skills required for the job market were some of the practical efforts being made by Government.
Mr Victor Amponsah, Officer-In-Charge of Training at Ghana Employers Association (GEA), expressed appreciation for Government's interventions in polytechnic education but called for greater commitment to give meaning to Government's agenda on human resource development, private sector growth and industrialization. "Polytechnics are perhaps what we need today. Therefore every effort must be made by Government to re-focus objectives of Polytechnics to provide graduates with employable skills that could feed our growing industries," he said.
Mr Martin Kwame Sedem, National President of GNUPS said it was important that Polytechnics, as tertiary institutions were resourced to move away from the "shadows" of universities to have the confidence to concentrate on their objectives.
He said this would enable Polytechnics take their role in tertiary education and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the country. 25 Nov. 06
