By J. K Nabary, GNA
Winneba (C/R), April 16, GNA – The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) has hosted the maiden edition of the Jophus Anamuah-Mensah Annual Public Lecture on “Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Transformation in Africa,” at Winneba.
The event organised by the Education and Skills Development (ESDEV) Foundation Africa in partnership with leading academic and national institutions, was aimed at establishing a lasting continental platform for dialogue on TVET.
It was also to honour the enduring contributions of Prof Anamuah-Mensah, former Vice-Chancellor of UEW and one of Africa’s leading education reformers whose visionary leadership continued to shape teacher education, educational policies, and developing skills across Ghana and beyond.
During his tenure, he played a transformative role in strengthening UEW’s identity as Africa’s first university dedicated solely to teacher education.
Also under his leadership, UEW expanded its access through open and distance learning, strengthened its academic mission, positioning itself as a prominent voice in educational research and policy development.
Beyond institutional leadership, Prof Anamuah-Mensah chaired Ghana’s landmark 2002 Education Reform Committee which integrated Early Childhood Education into the formal school system and positioned TVET as a critical pillar of national development.
The event chaired by Neenyi Ghartey VII, Effutu Oma Odefe, also the Chancellor of UEW, brought together policymakers, industry leaders, academics, university administrators, development partners among others from across Africa, reflecting on progress exchange innovations to generate actionable recommendations to strengthen national and continental TVET systems.
The Maiden Lecture featured a Keynote address by eminent scholar and higher education leader, Prof Clifford N B Tagoe, former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, whose reflections provided strategic insight into the evolving role of TVET in Africa’s development agenda.
He thanked the organisers, SDF Foundation Africa especially the CEO, Prof Francis Owusu Mensah, saying honouring Prof Anamuah-Mensah whom he respected for his deep knowledge and expertise in educational matters, was not surprising, and congratulated him for his achievements.
Prof Tagoe said, in recent years, however, there had been a continent-wide recognition that TVET was the answer to youth unemployment and that unless new models and curricula relevant to local labour market needs were introduced, much progress could not be made by African countries.
He stated that, TVET training was one of the most strategic development leaders of Africa’s future, and indispensable to its transformation which was not an academic exercise but both a development imperative and a social contract.
As Africa prepared to harness the promise of its young population, TVET must be repositioned at the center of national and continental strategies, Prof Tagoe noted.
“This is a real challenge facing all African countries, but in recognition of this challenge, the African Union have developed an continental strategy, which begun last year for TVET to foster youth employment and it is to be span to 2034 to guide member states in their quest for an effective response to unemployment crisis.”
Prof Tagoe further stated that across the continent, more than 20 million young Africans entered the labour market every year with hope and ambition and skills which very often were not responsive to the needs of the economy.
“In addressing the challenge, we see real evidence and reform unfolding in countries like our own Ghana’s experience, not only reflecting the aspirations of millions of its youth, but also offers practical ways, cautionary insights and lessons for the broader African-TVET agenda.”
Prof Tagoe indicated that the rising youth unemployment, informality, aggression pressures and social frustration compelled some youths to even decide to walk across the Sahara Desert to what they think was the promised land, while others engaged in precarious activities, street selling and temporary works with little hope of earning decent wages and sustainable livelihoods.
“We need technicians, artisans, technologies, skilled operators to manage our economies, across African economies, we still see traditional academic pathways valued more than vocational pathways.
“What makes Ghana’s case important, however, is the deliberate attempt and efforts to confront these structural weaknesses through systemic reform.”
He stated that TVET is not a fallback option by any standards, it is the engine of economic transformation, when properly governed, funded and connected to industry demand and the needs of the wider economy.
“We must assume a strategic role, not as a residual pathway, but as a driver of economic growth transformation, TVET transformation is not an experiment, it is a national and continental necessity, also a continuing process which Africa stands on the threshold of an industrial future that demands skilled and innovative minds and practical problem solvers,” Prof Tagoe said.
“Africa, must adopt these lessons challenge with cultural and economic relevance scaled to our diverse contexts and TVET must no longer remain peripheral but mainstreamed and adequately financed.”
“Let us therefore committee across governments, universities, industries, communities and youth networks to make TVET transformation a strategic priority in our development agenda and this strategy would also include a strong partnership between TVET providers and industry players, facilitated through government policies that provide incentives for the employment sector to collaborate,”Prof Tagoe further indicated.
“Let us equip our youth not just to compete but also to lead in the world of tomorrow, the future of Africa will not be built only on degrees but by skills,’ he added.
Prof Stephen Jobson Mitchual, UEW Vice Chancellor said, hosting the lecture carried a symbolic significance.
He said honouring the foundational leadership of the University’s first Vice-Chancellor whose tenure was marked by institutional consolidation, strengthened research culture and increased national relevance within Ghana’s development agenda.
“The Maiden Annual Public Lecture was conceived as both a celebratory and a forward-looking platform aligned with Africa’s transformation agenda including Agenda 2063 and continental strategies that prioritises skills development, industrialisation and youth employment,” he stated.
“Through this initiative, the platform will further strengthen UEW’s role as a catalyst for reforms and sustainable development in Ghana and across Africa, celebrating the continuing influence of Prof Anamuah-Mensah on education policy, practice and innovation,” Prof Mitchual indicated.
Prof Anamuah-Mensah was honoured with a citation for his immense advocacy for competency-based training, science and technology education, inclusivity and access to quality learning, which continued to influence reforms in Ghana and across Africa.
Later a cake was cut to crown the occasion.
GNA
Edited by Alice Attey/Kenneth Odeng Adade