By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, Aug. 12, GNA – Authorities at the Biriwa Technical Institute (BTI) have commended the Government for implementing the free Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) policy, resulting in substantial increase in enrolment.
“We express sincere appreciation to the Government of Ghana for the Free TVET for all initiative,” Mr Samuel Kwashie Amegbor, the Manager of the School, said during the 12th graduation ceremony for 229 students at the school over the weekend.
The event was on the theme: “Stakeholders’ Synergy: The Crucial Solutions to the Deficiency in Quality TVET Service Delivery.”
“I am pleased to confirm that due to the ‘Free TVET for all initiative,’ the annual admission figures at BTI have surged from an average of 595 to nearly 800, and this marks a growth of approximately 34 per cent and continues to rise,” Mr Amegbor said.
He said the school was facing some pressing challenges arising from the inadequate infrastructure, which impeded the delivery of high-quality free TVET education for all.
Consequently, he requested for a 60-seater capacity school bus and pickup, 3000-capacity dining hall, 5,000-capacity assembly hall, and 20-unit classroom and workshop blocks.
The school also needed 650-capacity dormitories for both genders, in addition to an overhead footbridge on the Accra-Cape Coast highway to prevent accidents when students during students crossing.
Mr Amegbor said the 229 graduates including 80 females completed in various programmes such as welding fabrication technology, wood construction technology, leather works, motor vehicle engineering, and fashion designing.
Among the graduates, 29 male students completed the Motor Vehicle Engineering Technology programme, while 62 learners, including three females, graduated in Electrical Engineering Technology.
Four males completed the Computer Hardware Technology, five males graduated in Wood Construction Technology, 36 male learners in Building and Construction Technology, and four males in Welding and Fabrication Technology.
Additionally, seven students with two females, finished the Leatherworks Technology; 53 learners including three males graduated in Fashion Design Technology, 25 female learners in Hospitality and Catering Management, and 41 students completed the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Technology programmes.
Mr Amegbor urged the students to become problem solvers in the field of TVET, face challenges with optimism, persist, and continue to expand their knowledge.
“You are the future leaders and influencers who will shape the world. Step out with determination and purpose to make a difference,” he said.
Prof. George K.T. Oduro, an expert in Educational Leadership at the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA), University of Cape Coast, said without TVET, the country could not make substantial progress in sustaining national peace, fostering wealth creation, and addressing climate change.
Unlike general education, which focused on broad-based theoretical knowledge, he said TVET concentrated on developing specific practical skills and competencies essential for meeting the demands of the labour market — construction, hospitality, technology, engineering, nursing, healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing.
Ms Mawusi Nudekor Awity, the Director-General of TVET Services, commended parents for encouraging their children to pursue technical education instead of traditional academic schooling.
She advised parents to support their children in acquiring the necessary tools for their respective fields to prevent them from abandoning their acquired skills and becoming idle after graduation.
GNA