Accra, Sept. 18, GNA – The Design and Technology Institute (DTI) has inaugurated two committees to strengthen academic governance and industry relevance of its Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) programmes.
The Academic Council and four Industry Advisory Committees were inaugurated at DTI’s Campus at East Legon, Accra, to mark the commencement of the 2026/2027 academic year.
Ms Constance Swaniker, Founder and President of DTI, said the initiative demonstrated the Institute’s commitment to maintaining high academic standards and aligning training with industry needs.
“Today is not a ceremony, it is a commitment. It is a commitment that the education we deliver at DTI will meet the highest standards,” she said.
Ms Swaniker said DTI was established to bridge the gap between classroom training and industry requirements to ensure that graduates acquired the competence and confidence needed in the workplace.
“The gap is not in our young people’s ability, but the gap lies between the classroom and the workshop floor, between what is taught and what industry demands. This is why DTI exists to close that gap,” she said.
Ms Swaniker said the Academic Council, the Institute’s highest internal academic authority, would provide independent oversight to safeguard the integrity, quality and relevance of teaching and learning.
“It will scrutinise our programmes, guide our academic policies and hold us accountable to national standards and to the international benchmarks we have chosen to meet,” she said.
Ms Swaniker urged the Council members to provide candid feedback and challenge management when necessary.
“We established it to strengthen our decisions. We want you to ask us difficult questions and push us even further. A council that only agrees with us is not a council; it is an audience,” she said.
About 40 industry professionals were also inducted into four Industry Advisory Committees covering Multimedia and Design Innovation, Welding and Fabrication, CAD-CAM and Entrepreneurship.
Ms Swaniker said the committees would help validate curricula, provide real-world project challenges and participate in assessing learners’ work.
“At DTI, industry is not just a guest in our classrooms. We co-architect our programmes with you,” she said.
Mrs Amy Fafa Awoonor, Chairperson of the Education Subcommittee of the DTI Board, said the Institute’s rapid growth required robust governance structures to sustain quality.
“DTI is growing exponentially and with it, all the systems have to be in place,” she said, describing the Council as a “powerhouse” of experienced professionals whose expertise would help guide the Institute.
Dr Kingsley Arkorful, Executive Director of the Bureau for Community Action and Development and consultant to DTI’s institutional strengthening process, described the inauguration as a significant milestone.
“The Academic Council is key in terms of one of the key governance structures for DTI,” he said, adding that it would serve as guardian of academic standards, curriculum approval and industry linkages.
Dr Emmanuel Ampomah, School Principal of DTI, said the structures would strengthen academic governance and deepen partnerships between the Institute and industry.
He said they would help ensure that teaching, learning and assessment remained responsive to evolving industry needs while promoting continuous improvement across DTI’s programmes.
Dr Ampomah expressed gratitude to the board, academic experts and industry professionals for committing their time and expertise to the Institute’s mission of producing skilled graduates capable of contributing to Ghana’s industrial development.
Delivering acceptance remarks on behalf of the Academic Council, Dr Saviour Ayertey Nubuor, Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School and a DTI Academic Board Member, pledged the Council’s commitment to excellence and integrity.
“We accept this appointment with deep gratitude and with a firm commitment to serve our institute, our students and the wider community with integrity, vision, excellence and purpose,” he said.
Dr Nubuor said the Council would work to ensure that DTI’s curricula remained relevant to industry and societal needs through collaborative governance and evidence-based decision-making.
The inauguration forms part of DTI’s efforts to establish independent academic oversight and structured industry engagement in its delivery of rigorous and industry-responsive TVET programmes.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey