TRAINING FOR EMPLOYMENT CREATION

        Available statistics indicate that female enrolment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions in the country is very low. About 29 per cent of female students are in National and Vocational Training Institution centres, 17 per cent in Colleges of Education and 30 per cent in Polytechnics across the country.

 To change the trend and encourage more female participation in technical and vocational careers, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, COTVET has rolled out a Role Model programme as part of the Development of Skills for Industry Project. Through the programme, over two thousand students in technical, vocational and education and training institutions across the country are expected to benefit from the experiences and success stories of established individuals in industry. 

These individuals will act as role models by participating in panel discussions and other outreach programmes including some sixteen workshops with the beneficiaries. Speaking at the advocacy workshop on the programme for the northern sector of the country, at Fumesua near Kumasi, the Executive Director of COTVET, Sebastian Deh emphasized the critical role that technical and vocational education plays in national socio-economic development. He explained that the programme has been designed to replace the current technical, vocational and education and training curricula, but to complement it by shaping the academic and career paths of the interested youth. 

 Mr. Deh however expressed worry about the gender imbalance in technical and vocational education and training, adding that the role model programme will help to address the situation and ultimately reinforce the importance of technical and vocational education and training to industrial growth.

 A consultant to the COTVET, Stephen Turkson called for policy reforms in technical and vocational education and increased government support in the provision of modern logistics for technical and vocational education and training institutions. Participants at the workshop included selected students from technical second cycle institutions, academicians and some industry players. It was on the theme, “Re-defining Technical and Vocational Education and Training for Employment Creation”.