By Godfred A. Polkuu
Sumbrungu (U/E), March 18, GNA – Mr Haruna Iddrisu, Minister for Education, says the Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) in the Upper East Region remains a beacon of vocational and technical education in Ghana.
He said the university shaped the future of the youth and contributed immensely to national development over the past 25years.
“This esteemed institution has played a pivotal role in equipping students with the requisite technical, entrepreneurial, and professional skills necessary to drive industrialization and economic progress in Ghana,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Sector Minister, Dr Clement Abas Apaak, at a durbar to mark the 25th Anniversary celebration of BTU at Sumbrungu.
The celebration was on the theme: “25 years of sustainable TVET development: Journeying to technological advancement,” and brought together stakeholders in the education sector, traditional rulers, lecturers, current and former government appointees among others.
Mr Iddrisu noted that the theme for the celebration was both timely and relevant, and indicated that President John Dramani Mahama recognized Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a critical driver of socio-economic development.
He said the university over the last two and half decades, made significant strides in technical education, as it trained thousands of skilled professionals actively contributing to industries across Ghana and beyond.
The Sector Minister said, “The university has become a hub for innovation, equipping students with hands-on experience in fields such as engineering, applied sciences, business and technology”.
He said countries that prioritized technical education had experienced significant advancements in their industrial sectors, jobs creation and technological innovation.
“This is why the NDC government, under the leadership of President John Dramani Mahama is committed to revitalizing and expanding access to technical vocational education to ensure that Ghana’s workforce is globally competitive and adequately prepared for the demands of the modern economy,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu, who is Member of Parliament (MP) for the Tamale South Constituency, said as stakeholders reflected on the remarkable journey of the university, it was important for them to note the challenges it faced.
He acknowledged that technical universities across the country continued to face infrastructural deficits, funding constraints and limited access to modern teaching and learning equipment.
He added that there was a growing need to continuously align curricula with industry trends to ensure that graduates were equipped with relevant, up-to-date skills.
The Minister said government, through the Ministry of Education was committed to bridging these gaps by increasing investment in technical universities, improve research capacity and expand internship and apprenticeship opportunities through strategic partnerships with industries.
Mr Donatus Akamugri Atanga, the Upper East Regional Minister, said the BTU from its humble beginnings, evolved over the years and stood the test of time in producing competitive and qualified graduates who had excelled in various fields of endeavours across the country and beyond.
“The university has created a niche as an institution that nurtures entrepreneurship development as a panacea to addressing the challenges of unemployment among our teeming youth,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the university, Professor Samuel Erasmus Alnaa, who gave a brief history of the university, said BTU started as a Polytechnic in 1999 and later introduced three academic programmes in September 2003 at the former Meat Marketing Company building at Bukere, a suburb of Bolgatanga.
He said three staff pioneered the university which today has 326 teaching and non-teaching staff with over 70 academic programmes, “The transformation over the years has been massive. All these happened through the hard work of our staff and able leadership of Rectors who headed the institution then”.
Professor Alnaa acknowledged the efforts of Mr Robert Ajene, the founding Principal of the institution, subsequent Heads, Board Chairpersons and staff who over the years contributed to the growth and development of the university.
GNA
FAA/KOA