Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice-President, has broken ground on 32 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) centers around the nation.
The goal of the skills acquisition programme is to increase the country's young employment rate.
Yesterday [June 6, 2022], the ceremony took place at Abrankese, in the Bosomtwe District of the Ashanti Region.
The initiative, which will begin immediately, is anticipated to be finished in 30 months, with two such centers of excellence in each of the 16 areas.
Competency-based training (CBT) curriculum and content development for 30 occupations will also be available at the centers.
Abrankese, Akyem Awisa in the Eastern Region, Boako in the Western North Region, Kenyasi in the Ahafo Region, Patuda in the Bono East Region, Dambai in the Oti Region, Salaga in the Savannah Region, Guabuliga in the North East Region, and Tolibri in the Upper West Region are some of the beneficiary areas where the centers will be established.
The Abrankese project will be built on a 50-acre plot of land with training facilities such as smart classrooms, labs, and workshops.
Two multinational banks – ING of the Netherlands and BNP Paribas of France – are funding the project's first phase, which is worth €158.9 million.
In 2020, Parliament authorized a concessional financing for the first phase's development.
Industrialisation
The creation of such centers, according to Dr Bawumia, is in line with the government's aspirations to industrialize the country.
"Revitalizing and modernizing TVET so that it is responsive to the requirements of business is one of the fundamental pillars of the government's industrialisation drive," he added.
According to the Vice-President, the administration has worked to strengthen the technical education sector over the last five years by guaranteeing the passing of Acts 1023 and 1049 to improve quality, expand access, and raise financing for TVET.
Framework
The Ministry of Education signed a Master Framework Agreement (MFA) with Planet One Education Limited in December 2019 to establish the 32 centers.
Planet One is a well-known organization with experience in the field of education.
The organization aided in the renovation and modernization of the country's National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI).
The government is also renovating and modernizing the NVTIs, according to the Vice-President.
Dr. Bawumia went on to say that TVET will continue to be the impetus for the country's industrialisation and the creation of respectable work opportunities for its residents.
He stated that in order to achieve long-term growth, it was vital to focus on providing young with the required skills to act as economic drivers.
Significance
Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum, Minister of Education, said the investment in TVET was critical since the country is now experiencing a lack of high-semi-specialized skill labor and an excess supply of low-skill labor, resulting in a quagmire of low-skill equilibrium.
"We live in a global market, and when our kids graduate, they will be competing for employment not only with individuals in their own nation, but with people all over the world," he added.