Significance Of 2016 Skills And Technology Fair

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE 2016 SKILLS AND TECHNOLOGY FAIR.

The Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) of the Ministry of Education, with funding from the World Bank and DANIDA has begun the 2016 Skills and Technology Fair from 9th November to 11th November with Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Minister for Education, as the Guest of Honour. This event will exhibit the results of the Ghana Skills and Technology Development Project, including the Skills Development Fund, and provide a platform for businesses to engage with industry stakeholders, Development Partners, government and the general public. The fair which is taking place at the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre, Pavilion A, will have special session on how to access funding under the second phase of the Skills Development Fund (2016 – 2020), as a side attraction. It is insightful to note that, this event is taking place at a time when under the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), government is providing quality skills training to the youth by rebranding both formal and informal TVET programs. The Ministry has continued with the implementation of the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) to provide skills to Ghanaian youth between the ages of 16-24.

Under NAP, beneficiary youth are attached to master craft persons to undergo apprenticeship. The trainees are also provided with the necessary tools and equipment to facilitate their training. Notable achievements under the programme included 5,000 JHS leavers trained in garment making, cosmetology, welding and fabrication, auto mechanics and electronics in 70 selected districts, 3,500 master crafts persons trained in current industry trends, book keeping, customer service, ICT skills, health and safety standards as well as business ethics, 10 TVET institutions and 3,500 apprentices benefited from GH¢3 million worth of various tools and equipment and 300 TVET professionals were provided with specialized training in the Competency Based Training (CBT) delivery mode. 

Additionally, a project to develop institutional framework for regulating informal sector apprenticeship and skills upgrading in the informal sector is ongoing with a grant of €10 million. Also, 25,000 TVET learners/workers and Master Craft persons are currently undergoing training. Other interventions include the Ghana Skills and Technology Development Project (GSTDP). The objective of GSTDP is to develop skills and technology for key sectors of the economy through improvements in the quality of formal and informal training. Under the project, Government established the Skills Development Fund (SDF) to support and finance innovative technology and skills development by training institutions, trade associations and businesses. The key achievements under SDF include 646 formal and informal businesses, Trade Associations and Training Institutions were awarded a total of $50.2 million as grants for various skills development and technology acquisition, 103,683 workers in the formal and informal sectors have so far received innovative skills training in various trade areas, 13,300 new jobs have been created under the SDF, 105 New training courses have been developed, awaiting accreditation by COTVET into CBT courses and 567 new technologies have been developed for uptake by the private sector. 

Furthermore, 139 new technologies have been adopted by participating firms. Another intervention is the Development of Skills for Industry (DSIP), the key objective of which is to equip the youth with quality middle level technical and vocational skills needed in the Ghanaian economy. The achievements chalked in this area include the award of scholarships to 1,500 students including 333 females in Polytechnics and Technical Institutes, scholarships awarded to 2,000 apprentices in the informal sector, 800 Master crafts persons were trained in Competency Based Training (CBT) methods of instruction as well as the investment of US$60.3 million to expand TVET capacity by constructing modern school infrastructure in 13 Technical and Vocational Institutes. Human resource development witnessed the training of 148 instructors at the Diploma level, 20 instructors at the Masters level and 5 faculty members at the PhD level in order to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in TVET institutions. 

As a country we cannot afford to toy with technical and vocational education because it holds the key to technological advancement of any country. This explains why President John Mahama in an interview on Garden City Radio in Kumasi explained how that sector could provide employment for the youth if well developed.

By Dan Osman Mwin, Head of the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Education.