Dr Osei K. Darkwa, President of Ghana Technical University College has called on institutions to design academic programmes that are entrepreneurial in nature, and provides skills that will serve the needs of industries.
He said the numerous successes of world entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin have been possible due to the entrepreneurial nature of the education provided by their respective institutions.
Dr Darkwa said Ghana needs home grown solutions to the countries problems and challenges to be able to join the global economy and end the widespread poverty that plagues most Africa.
The President said this at the 5th graduation ceremony of Academic City College in Accra, on the theme: “Challenges for the Youth Graduating from Tertiary Institutions in An Emerging Global Economy.”
He noted that achieving the country’s educational objectives requires an expanded and enriched educational system that could provide the skilled workers, the technicians, and the professionals that the country and the world economy will need to compete in the world successfully.
Dr Darkwa said there is the need for the country to begin somewhere, as it is said that all great and honorable actions are accompanied with great difficulties.
“Could our graduating class take that small step for mother Ghana by being creative innovative and designing solutions to address some of our everyday challenges, only then would the country be taken to the ‘Promised Land’,” He said.
He said Ghana cannot put man on the moon as stated by Neil Armstrong, but could develop systems that would transform the lives of Ghanaians and overcome current challenges the country is faced with.
He urged the graduating students to go to the world and make a difference in the daily lives of Ghanaians.
In a speech read on her behalf Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyeman, Minister of Education said there is the need for a paradigm shift from theoretical training and learning by rote to vocational and skill-oriented education as a support of a stakeholder’s resolution adopted in 2014.
She said the global economy is a practical quality driven by innovation and resourcefulness hence well educated persons should be able to utilise their knowledge and skills to enhance their living conditions
She called on education planners to go into partnership with industries in which their students would be given occasional hands-on training to enhance their employability skills when they complete their programmes.
The minister quoted Nicholas Wyman CEO of Institute of Workplace in his assertion that companies wish to employ the best and brightest minds (graduates) of the future, and that it is very necessary for schools to produce such young ones for the industries.
Mr Anis Haffa, Educationist and a Columnist advised the graduands to keep an open mind and do not restrict themselves to their field of qualification.
“look into your hearts and see what you were born for, know how to market yourselves strategically to be able to earn themselves jobs, see yourselves as local and international people who you think would be suitable to be your mentor and develop a discretionary effort by going the extra mile to achieve what they want” he added.
A total of 69 students obtained Master’s Degree in Business Administration, 39 students obtained Master’s Degree in Science Information and Technology and Master’s Degree in Journalism. 63 students also obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration where as others graduated with Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication.
