The Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Gifty Twum-Ampofo, has asked Ghanaians to capitalize on opportunities in the TVET sector.
According to the Minister, TVET has the potential to spur socio-economic growth, decrease unemployment, and improve the skills and competencies of the youth to become globally competitive.
Mrs. Twum-Ampofo therefore encouraged students, especially female students, to take TVET seriously because it holds the key to an easy and successful future.
Speaking at a conference in Accra on Tuesday, March 8, the Minister who doubles as legislator for Abuakwa North, said recognizing the role of effective communications in improving the perception of citizenry about TVET and its associated role of skills development in Ghana has become key for the Ministry of Education since its inception in 2019.
While acknowledging government’s investment efforts in the TVET sector, she indicated that the purpose to introduce the youth to other varieties of skilled areas is aimed at helping raise high the profile of skilled personnel in the country.
The conference, held under the theme “Promoting Inclusive TVET, the role of women,” became necessary as a medium employed by the campaign to also encourage more females to participate in TVET, particularly in male-dominated trade, Madam Gifty Twum-Ampofo admitted.
Also at the conference was the Country Director for GIZ Ghana, Regina Barbosa. She explained that German support for the development of TVET in Ghana has been well known and acknowledged.
“Actively embedded in this support has been the need to ensure that women are encouraged and persuaded to take up the challenge of participating in the so called male dominated trades within the TVET sector in the country. “This is evidenced by the numerous female oriented schemes and interventions that have been implemented in collaboration with the CTVET and other TVET Institutions” she stressed.
Madam Barbosa therefore urged Ghana Government and all concerned individual to continue to strive for excellence when it comes to empowering the female, since they hold the key to success in every society.
On the part of Director General of the Commission for TVET, Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, he underscored the significance of the launch of ‘MYTVET’ in June 2021 to help negate the negative ideology about technical education in the country and to inspire women to take up careers in male dominated fields.
He therefore thanked all stakeholders especially the Development Partners who continue to support the Commission in its bid to ensure that TVET becomes a subject of choice for all young Ghanaians.
The event which coincided with the “International Women’s Day” celebration had the objective of encouraging young women to show interest and participate in male dominated trades and to highlight the situation where many young women still face professional and occupational limitations.
The Conference was organised by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) under the auspices of the Ministry of Education (MoE) and was supported by the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), a German development cooperation agency, and World University Service of Canada (WUSC).
