Ferdinand  | EducationGhana | May 24 | TVET enrolment up 8% nationwide – Dr. Apaak

The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, says enrolment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions has increased by more than eight per cent nationwide.

This year, a total of 61,506 students enrolled in TVET related institutions, representing an increase of 8.6 per cent over last year’s enrollment of 55,295 students.

DR Apaak said increasing the number of students choosing TVET as a career path was encouraging and reflected growing confidence in technical and vocational education across the country.

“We are excited because we are seeing an increase in the number of students who are opting for TVET as their line of academic and professional pursuit,” he said.

“The data indicates that from last year’s numbers we are seeing an upsurge of slightly above eight percent,” Dr. Apaak added.

Dr. Apaak disclosed this last Wednesday after touring selected Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Accra during ongoing final examinations for students in the sector.

The Deputy Minister visited the Accra Technical Training Centre and the Opportunities Industrialization Technical Institute (OITI), where he interacted with candidates, instructors and officials supervising the examinations.

Dr Apaak stated that about 61,500 students nationwide were currently sitting for the examinations, describing the figure as a positive sign for Ghana’s future workforce development.

“So let me use this opportunity to wish the candidates well and to thank their instructors, tutors and parents for helping to prepare them for this moment,” he said.

Essential to national devt

Dr. Apaak encouraged parents and students to consider TVET programmes, stressing that technical and vocational skills were essential to national development and industrial growth.

“We believe that to develop as a nation, we need to emphasize, promote and encourage more of our young people to take up TVET,” he noted.

He said the Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu had already taken steps to advance TVET development, including securing a five-million-euro grant from Italy dedicated to the sector and advocating parliamentary approval for the proposed TVET Fund.

Industrialisation 

The Deputy Minister said Ghana was positioning its TVET sector along the lines of industrialised nations.

Dr. Apaak said the government was determined to strengthen technical and vocational education because of its importance to national development and industrial growth.

“And we look up to countries like Japan, like Singapore, like South Korea, like China, like Malaysia, even America and Germany,” he stated.

“One of the reasons why they have progressed the way they have is because they gave a lot of attention to and invested in and encouraged their students to take up TVET,” he added.

He said Ghana was moving in a similar direction by promoting technical and vocational education among young people.

“So that is where we are moving towards,” Dr. Apaak stressed.

Government interest 

He noted that increasing enrolment figures in the sector showed growing interest among students in technical and vocational education.

“We are excited because we are seeing an increase in the number of students who are opting for TVET as their line of academic and professional pursuit,” he said.

He also highlighted measures being pursued by the government to support the sector, including the proposed TVET Fund currently before Parliament.

The Deputy Minister said President John Dramani Mahama had outlined clear commitments on TVET in the National Democratic Congress’ 2024 manifesto, while Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu was already implementing policies aimed at improving technical and vocational education nationwide.

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