By Isaac Arkoh/Victoria Agyemang
Cape Coast, Oct. 30, GNA – The Engineering, Designing, and Innovation Centre (EDIC) of the Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU) has unveiled an ultramodern vehicle servicing centre at the hills of the university.
It was established in collaboration with the Ghana National Association of Garages (GNAG) and Rikpat Lube Manufacturing Ltd for mutual gain.
The centre has a spraying booth, 3D alignment to prolong tire life, a hydraulic-powered two-column lifting device, metal cutting equipment, and a vehicle for Mechanical Engineering students’ practicals.
The multipurpose facility reflects the University’s vision to provide maximum experience and opportunity to students beyond the walls of the classroom.
Aside having a training workshop for Mechanical Engineering students to have hands-on practical experience, the facility also has various huge metal-cutting equipment for the training of the public and students alike.
Capable of servicing hundreds of vehicles per day, the facility offered free vehicle maintenance and servicing to dozens of people on the day of the launch.
Commissioning the facility, Dr. Kwame Anane-Fenin, Director of EDIC said CCTU had emphasized practical learning by using simulations to replace real working situations found in business, industry, government and non-governmental organizations.
Therefore, the Engineering programmes at CCTU were intended to produce highly skilled, practical-oriented manpower with appropriate theoretical orientation for positions of responsibility in the manufacture, design, and plant maintenance sectors of the engineering industry.
The Centre, according to him, was birthed by the Department’s responsibility to promote creativity in science and technology to build mechanical systems that had business value and foster problem-solving, project-based learning, and knowledge transfer.
He hailed the array of mechanical geniuses at the Department for several innovations, including the solar-powered tricycle.
However, he thanked the government for the equipment as part of a comprehensive strategy to create a chain between the lower-level Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institutions and technical universities.
That is hinged on ensuring that the young Ghanaian would have a clear path of skills acquisition and development towards nation-building.
Prof. Kwaku Adutwum-Boakye, Vice Chancellor of CCTU said the collaboration with stakeholders would build a strong innovation ecosystem in the country which would result in a win-win situation for both industry and academia.
That was in tandem with the University’s resolve to be a leading technologically innovative and entrepreneurial Technical University with a reputation in green and clean energy technologies.
Such innovations, he said, were anchored on the commitment to providing quality technical, vocational, and entrepreneurial, education that inspired learners to be creative and driven toward technology-based and sustainable solutions for communities and industries within the country and the sub-region.
Mrs. Justina Marigold Assan, Central Regional Minister in a speech on her behalf reaffirmed the government’s commitment to advancing technology and innovation for technical development.
She hinted of a collaboration to hand over a biodiversity Centre to ensure tourists experienced the best service when they visited the area.
The Centre will provide visitors with information on the area’s attractions, lodgings, maps, and other items relevant to tourism to boost tourism, increase revenue, and provide more job opportunities for the populace as well.
Some artisans led by Rev. Felix Asante Bordoh, Central Regional Chairman of GARAGES who graced the occasion, toured the facility and expressed gratitude to the University for the collaboration.
“We are happy about this collaboration, and we know it would go a long way to help all artisans. The World is changing, and we need to be abreast with the times,” he added.
GNA