BTU strengthens partnerships to boost youth skills

From Samuel Adadi AKAPULE, Bolgatanga

Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) has hosted a high-level stakeholder meeting at its main campus in Sumbrungu to review progress on two youth development projects aimed at strengthening technical and vocational education and improving economic opportunities for young people, especially young women, in northern Ghana.

The two projects are the Design Technology Institute (DTI) and Precision Quality (PQ) Curriculum Integration Project, and the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) “Accelerating Change through Innovation in Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training” (ACTIVATE–ATVET) project. Both are funded by the Mastercard Foundation and implemented in partnership with WUSC and the Design Technology Institute.

As a key implementing institution, BTU is responsible for aligning the projects with its academic systems, training delivery and mandate to provide industry-focused and transformative education.

The PQ Curriculum Integration Project is designed to embed Precision Quality standards into BTU’s teaching systems to ensure graduates acquire industry-relevant skills for today’s job market.

The ACTIVATE–ATVET project, on the other hand, focuses on improving agriculture-related technical and vocational training to equip young people with practical skills for employment and sustainable livelihoods.

Together, the projects aim to deliver high-quality, market-ready training to support national development.

The Dean of the School of Agriculture at BTU and Board Chairman for Competency-Based Training Programmes, Prof. Daniel Oppong-Sekyere, said the DTI–PQ project began in the 2024/2025 academic year and is expected to end in the 2026/2027 academic year.

He said the project is supporting quality teaching, upgrading laboratories, sponsoring student internships and funding annual job fairs.

However, the ACTIVATE–ATVET project, which started in 2024 runs until 2028, is also equipping young people with practical skills to improve employability and livelihoods.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor of BTU, Prof. Peter Osei Boamah, thanked WUSC, DTI and the Mastercard Foundation for their support and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to the successful implementation of both projects.

He said the projects align with BTU’s mission to provide quality, industry-driven education and transformative learning.

He assured partners that the university would maintain high standards, strong communication and effective coordination between the two projects to maximise their impact.

Representatives of the Mastercard Foundation, including Ms. Joan Buo, Edwin Fayorsey, praised BTU, WUSC and DTI for their strong commitment, saying the progress made so far reflects the strength of the partnership.

They said the foundation remains committed to supporting programmes that create lasting opportunities for young people, especially young women, and enable them to drive change in their communities.

Participants at the meeting stressed the importance of teamwork, innovation and shared responsibility in achieving sustainable development in the region and reaffirmed the role of partnerships in strengthening skills training and economic growth in northern Ghana.

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