The Deputy Minister of Education responsible for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Prof. Kingsley Nyarko, has commended Takoradi Technical University for its pacesetting role in technical education at the highest level, especially in the oil and gas industry. He gave the commendation during a familiarization visit to Takoradi Technical University, where he was welcomed by the University’s Executive Committee members.
Speaking on the sidelines of tour of the University, the Deputy Minister emphasized the critical role of Technical Universities in driving Ghana’s industrialization.
“We need to rely on industries to make progress; that is why we need to depend on Technical Universities. When we toured the facilities, we saw state-of-the-art equipment, and the more students are exposed to these, the more they acquire the skills needed to help this country advance. This government is promoting the ‘one district, one factory’ initiative; how can this be achieved without a strong technical orientation in our education system? That is fundamental. Therefore, the government is correct in ensuring that resources and facilities are provided for Technical Universities to lead the country from a resource-based economy to an industrialized one.”, he said.
He therefore commended Takoradi Technical University for its contributions towards training and equipping individuals with the skills needed in the technical sector.
“I am very impressed with the Vice Chancellor and his management for their focus in this sector. We visited the Oil and Gas Department and the Jubilee Technical Training Center, where I learned that they have successfully trained Ghanaians working in the oil and gas sector. When we discovered oil, we had to rely on expatriates. The central role that Takoradi Technical University plays in the oil and gas sector means that if they are adequately resourced, we can achieve the local content needed for our country’s development aspirations. We also toured the electronics laboratories and mechatronics sector, and I was pleased with the equipment there. All of this will help our country reach the goals we are all striving for,” he commended.
The visit which forms part of the Deputy Minister’s ongoing engagement with educational institutions nationwide, was aimed at fostering closer collaboration between the Ministry and Technical Universities as the government intensifies its efforts to transform the educational landscape in Ghana.
Addressing some challenges facing the institution, the Deputy Minister promised to advocate for more infrastructure for the University, praising its ongoing five-story ICT block. He also assured the University that he would work with his ministry to ensure it gains access to more teaching staff.
“Regarding the laboratories and workshops, I believe more needs to be done. We will ensure that the government provides more workshops and laboratories. Let me commend the Vice Chancellor again for the five-story ICT block this institution is developing. This is crucial for driving the developmental agenda of our country. Another issue is staffing; the staff-to-student ratio is about 1:47, which is quite high. This means the government should grant them clearance to recruit more teachers. I will discuss this with my minister to ensure it is addressed—not only for TTU but also for the other nine technical universities in the country,” he stated.
The Vice Chancellor TTU, Rev. Prof. John Frank Eshun in addition to expressing gratitude to the Minister for his visit, also called on the government to ensure the construction of road to the Akatakyie campus and accommodation for students on that campus to facilitate its operations.
The visit concluded with a tour of the University’s facilities, where the Minister observed various laboratories, workshops, training centers, and ongoing projects, and interacted with staff on-site.
