The Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET, Mrs.Gifty Twum Ampofo has charged Ghanaians to make TVET attractive to children right from childhood.
She made the call at the 2020 edition of career-focused education. According to her, the main reason most students are not interested in towing the TVET path is because society has not made vocational and technical education attractive.
She said people usually perceive those who dare tow the path as not academically good. Such persons are sometimes mocked by fellow colleagues, peers and society in general.
She described the act as hypocritical and not helping Ghana’s fight against unemployment. The minister added that there are a million jobs that can be created should Ghanaians embrace technical and vocational training.
“The easiest way you can get employed in this country is by doing your own creative business. This is a field that has lots of ready job employments after finishing training.”
The minister added that most of the important things we do or need in life come from her sector, hence the need to encourage the youth to take up courses in vocational and technical education.
“You definitely need caterers to do your cakes for you at your events, we surely need mechanics to fix cars, we need make-up artists to make us look elegant. So if we all want to take up courses that will land us in the offices, I mean white- collar jobs, who will be doing these things for us?”
She however revealed that measures are being taken to make the sector attractive. “Government is doing its best to make technical and vocational training attractive, so we are poised on retooling and providing necessary infrastructure that will enhance teaching and learning in the institutions.”
She is currently on a three-week familiarization tour of all TVET institutes under the Ghana Education Service (GES). The visit is to find out first hand , the state of the schools in terms facilities and infrastructure.
By Satsyi Esene Courage
