Education Minister supports Accra Technical University with a grant of GH¢20,000

The grant is to purchase computers, furniture and other equipment needed for the office to bring in resources for the university.
Speaking at the university’s 21st congregation, the minister encouraged graduates to invest in themselves, as there’s more to life than reading textbooks.

He added that the Akufo-Addo administration is committed to tertiary education, especially to technical, vocational and training education “and is committed to the transformation of education in Ghana”.
Dr Adutwum hinted that government would soon cut the sod for the construction of a University of Engineering at Bonsu next month.
The initiative, he said, is fully funded by the South Korea Exim Bank.

He explained the need to increase Ghana’s gross tertiary enrolment ratio, as it is the sure means to development.
Last Friday, 3,109 students graduated from ATU, made up of 2,636 with Higher National Diploma (HND), 244 with Diploma, and 229 from the Ghana Armed Forces Military Academy and Training Schools.

Valedictorian Miss Abena Bondziwa Bonney bagged most of the awards, including Best Student in Electrical/Electronic Engineering (Control option).

Her twin sister, Abena Esoun Bonney, was also adjudged the Best Student in Hotel Catering and Institutional Management. Both sisters had a laptop each and cash prizes.

The Vice-Chancellor of University of Professional Studies, Prof Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey, who spoke at the event, said Ghana must progress from a resource-based to a knowledge-based economy supported by a highly skilled workforce.
He explained that vocational education and training need to focus more on the realities of the labour market, “and this requires investments in the development of demand-oriented TVET programmes”.

Prof Amartey stated that technical universities should not become traditional universities with similar mandates or duplicate the courses of tertiary institutions, because there is a critical void only technical universities can fill. “Technical universities should, therefore, concentrate on training the youth with competencies to feed industrial operations in the country. Many Ghanaian graduates are unable to find jobs commensurate with their educational training, and employers complain of skills shortages and mismatches. From the lens of the employers, unemployment in Ghana can be reduced if applicants develop the necessary soft and hard skills needed for the job. This will require our technical universities to develop the right curriculum,” he explained.

The Chairman for ATU’s Governing Council, Dr Wilfred K Anim-Odame, said the university had launched and was implementing a five-year strategic plan to influence the progress of development of the institution.

“As a council, we are committed to ensuring that the increase in students numbers does not only reflect in the population on campus but also accompanied by infrastructural development. Our ultimate goal is to promote excellence in teaching and learning,” he emphasised.
The Vice-Chancellor of ATU, Prof Samuel Nii Odai, in his speech, said the university’s second campus at Mpehuasem in the Ga West Municipality is currently operational.

The second campus since last year has been serving students from the Faculty of Engineering for practical lessons.
Prof Odai added that to facilitate commuting between the Kinbu and Mpehuasem campuses and industrial trips, the university had procured two new 60-seater buses and a Toyota mini bus.

“Some 7,500 students, including 33 international students from 12 African countries, have been  enrolled into the university. This is the highest number of international students the university has ever enrolled in a single year. The university has been admitting in excess of 7,000 students each year. This is a great achievement for Accra Technical University.”
The Vice-Chancellor was grateful for some grants the university won in the previous year.

This includes a grant of £120,000 British Council grant, won jointly with University of Huddersfield and Bolton University, for training in social enterprise in collaboration with Social Enterprise Ghana.

Source: Vida ASIEDU || GThe Finder