STU holds 12th congregation

The Sunyani Technical University has held its 12th Congregation for 389 students who pursued Bachelor of Technology (B-Tech) degrees in Engineering, TVET, Applied Science and Technology, Applied Arts as well as Business and Management disciplines.

They constitute the first batch of students to pass out while the second batch, mainly made up of Higher National Diploma (HND) and non-tertiary students, will graduate early next year.

This year’s congregation was held under the theme, “Technical and Vocational Education and Training: the key to sustainable job creation.”

Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, Ing. Prof. Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah announced that the University has obtained accreditation to run seven new four-year B-Tech degree programmes, beginning from January 2021.

The new four-year degree programmes, he mentioned, are in the areas of Electrical and Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction Technology, Hospitality and Tourism Management, General Agriculture and Fashion Design Technology.

“These seven new 4-year B-Tech programmes will run concurrently with the existing eleven Top-up B-Tech programmes in the university. Meanwhile, the institution has also received clearance for the introduction of five other 4-year B-Tech programmes, whilst six others are pending at the NCTE for clearance”, the Vice-Chancellor explained.

He also gave the assurance that Sunyani Technical University was ready to absorb qualified applicants, especially Free SHS graduates, into its four-year degree programmes and other tertiary and non-tertiary programmes, as the university re-opens on 11th January, 2021.

“I am happy to inform you that the University has made ready one 500-seater auditorium and six other classroom spaces, with various capacities, to comfortably accommodate new students who will enroll into our 4-year B-Tech programmes in January 2021”, Ing. Prof. Adinkrah-Appiah stated.

For her part, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, who was the Guest Speaker for the occasion, urged government “to give due recognition to graduates of technical universities in their placement, while they create the enabling environment which allows private persons to create sustainable jobs.”

She admonished the graduands to cherish their certificates but should not depend on it, saying “your success as a professional does not depend on the abundance of your certificates, or even how excellently you performed in class; it depends on your attitude, your determination, your perseverance, your fortitude, and resolve to make things work for you, and to make a difference, even under exasperating circumstances.”

She further asked them to value relationships above everything else and also seek “a life-work balance.”