The City and Guilds Regional Representative for West Africa, Kingsley Koranteng Asiedu, has suggested to the government to come out with technical/vocational levy with the aim of channeling it into the technical and vocational education as priority to national development.
Addressing a news conference in Accra, Mr Asiedu said echnical/vocational had not received the needed attention in the country to equip the youth with employable skills to reducing unemployment.
“As a nation all attention has been shifted to developing our academic institutions with less attention and support to our technical/vocational education,” he said.
He said workshops did not have the needed equipment to support training, lack of quality teachers for our technical /vocational institutes had negatively impacted on the caliber of technical graduates produced in the country.
Mr Asiedu said currently the universities were training petroleum engineers, chemical engineers and other allied programmes adding, “Sadly enough none of our technical institutions or even our polytechnics are training technicians for the oil industry to support the industry when the country starts oil production in the last quarter of the year.
“The bulk of the employees in the oil industry were technicians such as electrical maintenance, mechanical maintenance, instrumental and process technicians,” he added.
Mr. Asiedu said “great nations like U.K, Malaysia, Taiwan, China and India are what they are today because they invested in their technical/vocational education to equip their citizens with the right skills for industrialization and economic growth”.
He regretted that some employers discriminate against technical/vocational graduates when it comes to job placement and salary adding that ‘’our universities are not helping matters for technical/vocational graduates who want to further their education to the university level.’’
Mr Asiedu said the contribution of City and Guilds to the development of the country had been enormous ‘’ since 1950s we in collaboration with our partners had been on the forefront in providing to a number of Ghanaians who are either working in industries or are self-employed.’’
He said City and Guilds, a leading world’s vocational and technical awarding body had been operating in the country and in the sub-region for the past 55 years.
“Indeed it was the only vocational/technical awarding body in the country before the localisation of some of their awards by the Ghana Education Service,” he added.
Mr Asiedu said City and Guild, which was founded in London in 1878, offers qualification in almost every industry and at all levels, and now qualifies 1.8 million learners in 80 countries every year.
Addressing a news conference in Accra, Mr Asiedu said echnical/vocational had not received the needed attention in the country to equip the youth with employable skills to reducing unemployment.
“As a nation all attention has been shifted to developing our academic institutions with less attention and support to our technical/vocational education,” he said.
He said workshops did not have the needed equipment to support training, lack of quality teachers for our technical /vocational institutes had negatively impacted on the caliber of technical graduates produced in the country.
Mr Asiedu said currently the universities were training petroleum engineers, chemical engineers and other allied programmes adding, “Sadly enough none of our technical institutions or even our polytechnics are training technicians for the oil industry to support the industry when the country starts oil production in the last quarter of the year.
“The bulk of the employees in the oil industry were technicians such as electrical maintenance, mechanical maintenance, instrumental and process technicians,” he added.
Mr. Asiedu said “great nations like U.K, Malaysia, Taiwan, China and India are what they are today because they invested in their technical/vocational education to equip their citizens with the right skills for industrialization and economic growth”.
He regretted that some employers discriminate against technical/vocational graduates when it comes to job placement and salary adding that ‘’our universities are not helping matters for technical/vocational graduates who want to further their education to the university level.’’
Mr Asiedu said the contribution of City and Guilds to the development of the country had been enormous ‘’ since 1950s we in collaboration with our partners had been on the forefront in providing to a number of Ghanaians who are either working in industries or are self-employed.’’
He said City and Guilds, a leading world’s vocational and technical awarding body had been operating in the country and in the sub-region for the past 55 years.
“Indeed it was the only vocational/technical awarding body in the country before the localisation of some of their awards by the Ghana Education Service,” he added.
Mr Asiedu said City and Guild, which was founded in London in 1878, offers qualification in almost every industry and at all levels, and now qualifies 1.8 million learners in 80 countries every year.
