NVTI boss calls for re-branding of technical vocational training

A call has been made to re-brand Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) as it has the potential of employing young professionals, job seekers and reshape current workers.

Mr Stephen Amponsah, Executive Director of the National Vocational Training Institute observed that TVET was the bedrock for the formation of Small Medium Enterprises (SME’s), which if properly supported could successfully help manage the unemployment burden in Ghana to a large extent.

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“The country should strongly consider rebranding TVET to improve its

acceptability by the citizenry, and government should lead the way.”

Mr Amponsah, an Engineer, was speaking at the Comfort Ntiamoah-Mensah Memorial Forum on Vocational Training for Females (VTF) at Osu in Accra.

The occasion was also used to launch the Comfort Ntiamoah-Mensah Foundation.

The forum was on the theme: “Building a Solid Foundation for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in Ghana- a Situational Analysis.”

The VTF programme was established by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and her partner, the Bread for the World/ Protestant Development Service, Germany to respond to the church’s socio-economic objectives of transforming lives of the people.

Mr Amponsah observed that the current relationship between industries and TVET is causal and should be strengthened by government which plays a lead role in TVET as it is being done in advanced countries.

He called for the creation of a fund by the industries in funding TVET and open their doors for work placement experiences facilitators training and curriculum enrichment programmes.

Mr Amponsah who was speaking on the topic: “Policy and Practice: Experience and Challenges of TVET delivery in Ghana,” said the unequal distribution and inadequate resources on TVET required urgent redress.

According to him it appeared that TVET resources are channelled to the Ministry of Education Institutions who provide least out turn of graduates at all levels.

“This is as a result of the placement of Council of Technical and Vocational Education Training (COTVET) which is problematic. This situation is not good for a developing country and should be reversed especially when all providers graduate their trainees to the same job market,” he explained.

According him a system should be fashioned to bring about parity in the distribution of resources.

On research, the Executive Director of NVTI said Ghana should encourage research in skills needed and what would become of them in future.

Mr Amponsah said carpentry skills seem to lose its patronage because no new things are being added on to the old ones that existed adding that made it unattractive.

“Let’s create a TVET research institution that will also inform providers with the kind of skills required as the old one give way,” he stressed.

Throwing more light on the challenges of TVET, it should be housed and placed at a point that no ministry could manipulate it directly or indirectly so it could drive its policies fairly across board.