By Philip Tengzu
Nandom (UW/R), May 14, GNA – Students and teachers of the St. John’s Technical Vocational Institute in Nandom are anticipating major relief in practical skills training following the handing over of a site for the construction of a modern technical workshop facility.
The project, being implemented by the Social Investment Fund (SIF) with funding support from the African Development Bank (AfDB) under the Post COVID-19 Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Project (PSDPEP), is valued at about GH¢6.74 million.
For years, students and instructors at the Institute have struggled with limited workshop space and obsolete equipment, making practical lessons difficult in a school established to provide hands-on technical and vocational training.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) after the site handing-over ceremony in Nandom, some students said participating in practical sessions was often challenging because of the inadequate workshop space, forcing some students to remain outside during lessons.
Miss Gifty Pogbansie Bonyobo, a Building Construction Technology student, said: “Some of us will be in the practical hall, and some of us will have to move out and stand in the sun, which is not helping us.”
“I feel disadvantaged because we are all here to learn, so if I am going through this, will I actually get the best of training to bring out the best in me?” she added.
Miss Bonyobo expressed hope that the new facility would significantly improve practical learning and benefit future generations of students.
Master Gerald Asogyolkor Asakiya, another student, said although the institution had committed teachers, infrastructure challenges nearly discouraged him from remaining in the school after his admission.
He explained that inadequate, faulty and obsolete equipment continued to hinder effective practical training despite the dedication of instructors.
“In surveying like this, you will go and see the equipment, but there are no batteries to power them to use, so you will not be able to understand whatever the teacher will be explaining,” Mr Asakiya noted.
Teachers at the Institute also expressed frustration over years of attempting to teach practical-oriented courses without standard workshops and modern equipment.
Mr Justine Apio, a Plumbing and Glass Fitting Technology teacher, lamented that practical lessons were sometimes conducted in ordinary classrooms.
He, however, expressed optimism that the new project would provide a standard workshop environment for effective practical lessons.
Mr Prosper Puo-Ire, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the SIF, said the intervention formed part of broader efforts to strengthen Ghana’s technical and vocational education sector in response to lessons learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are building resilience and ensuring that our youth are not left without contemporary technical or vocational skills that can make them productive in any difficult time,” he explained.
The school currently has a population of 1,249 students pursuing programmes in Welding and Fabrication Technology, Building Construction Technology, Wood Construction Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology, Automotive Engineering Technology, and Plumbing and Glass Technology.
The project is being executed by Brison Construction Company Limited, with Knak Design Partnership serving as consultant, and is expected to be completed within 12 months.
The single-storey facility will house three workshops: an electrical installation workshop, a plumbing workshop, and a welding and fabrication workshop.
The project will also include ancillary facilities such as washrooms, a creche, breastfeeding rooms, storage rooms and offices, among others.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Audrey Dekalu