By Bertha Badu-Agyei/Millicent Tamakloe, GNA
Koforidua, Dec 24, GNA - The Vocational Training for Females (VTF) programme has described Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as the master key for Ghana to achieve an accelerated sustainable development.
VTF Programme was established by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) to provide support services towards enhancing TVET delivery in Ghana.
It is of the view that with the needed attention from government, TVET has the potential to create jobs and transform livelihoods, especially the youth and women.
Ms Linda Agyei, the Director of VTF, said this at the opening of a roundtable discussion on TVET in Koforidua, organized in collaboration with the National TVET Advocacy Committee.
The conference focused on soliciting views from stakeholders in educational and training institutions, industry and trade associations, students, media and advocates.
The discussion explored how TVET could be used as a tool to solve problems affecting national development.
While lauding government for the current reforms in TVET, Ms Agyei said there was the need for more consultations to mobilise support from stakeholders in order to make TVET “the driver and springboard for our development.”
She said the change in orientation about TVET was crucial and first step in making it part of a national tool to reduce poverty and unemployment.
The TVET advocacy Committee was created under the auspices of the VTF programme to advocate a well-functioning TVET system that responds to the social and economic needs of the nation.
Dr Stephen Turkson, a TVET Consultant, said TVET was critical for accelerated national economic development.
“We must support and improve TVET as it identifies and lays to bare key competences and relevant skills needed to meet the labour market to create the much needed job opportunities for our youth,” he added.
He mentioned that countries such as South Korea and Germany were ahead in terms of economic advancement because of their investments in improving human resource base.
Dr Turkson said statistics provided by the World Bank estimated that 80 per cent of all work activities involved TVET, leaving 20 per cent to other courses.
He described the situation as unfortunate since Ghana fell within the 20 per cent, that was attributed to perceptions.
He called on stakeholders to help change that perception that TVET was for the academically weak, to support the VTF agenda of changing the policy direction on TVET for the nation to derive its huge benefits.
Mrs Portia Boso, Co-Chairperson of the National Advocacy Committee, stressed that TVET was not meant for illiterates or the academically weak and said it was rather a transformational tool to improve livelihoods.
She rallied support for the VTF programme for rapid transformation of the country.
GNA
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