Resource Technical Universities to drive Ghana’s industrialization agenda

The Chairman of the Sunyani Technical University (STU) Governing Council, Ing. Dr. Kwame A. Boakye says with the needed support and orientation, technical universities in Ghana could be the major promoters and catalysts for government’s industrialization and transformation drive.

He believes that since Ghana’s Technical Universities are strategically positioned throughout the country, they form natural technology nodes for our national development.

“However, to make this successful, the Technical Universities must be appropriately managed, directed, resourced and supported”, he emphasized.

Ing. Dr. Boakye was speaking at the official launch of the STU Strategic and Master Plans at a ceremony in Sunyani over the weekend.

The ‘Strategic Plan’ spells out the development of the University in the next five years (2020-2025) while the ‘Master Plan’ focuses on development of the institution for the next 40 years.

Ing. Dr. Boakye explained that Technical Universities are expected to offer students the requisite practical training in specific disciplines that would mold them into resourceful entrepreneurs, adding that “these Universities must provide the bulk of our people with an education that is practical and forward-looking in approach, so as to train students who can create jobs rather than rely on the Government for employment.”

“The Technical Universities are expected to play a major national role in promoting and leading the practical application of Science, Technology, Engineering and Innovation in Ghana. These are the critical drivers for the socio-economic development of any country and have helped to transform societies to provide significantly improved living conditions.”

For his part, the Vice-Chancellor of the Sunyani Technical University, Ing. Professor Kwadwo Adinkrah-Appiah said that was the third time the institution had come up with a Strategic Plan since its establishment in 1967 as a Technical Institute and later as a Polytechnic in 1997 before it was converted to a University in 2016.

He said the new Strategic Plan has “eight Priority Goals with 22 Objectives and a number of Strategies for the achievement of the Vision of the University.”

He said the goals and strategies have been tactically imprinted to give quality to teaching, research, innovation and technology transfer, practical training for staff and students, through greater collaboration with industry, to create a platform for excellence in Engineering, Technology and TVET.

Future Expectations

The Vice-chancellor said when successfully implemented, students and staff of STU are expected to witness a major improvement in the overall governance system to enhance clarity of structure and role as well as an improvement in financial resource base leading to the attainment of efficient operations and enhanced physical infrastructure development.

Besides, the Strategic Plan is expected to ensure an improved ICT infrastructure to support teaching, learning, research, innovation and invention; and sustained improvement in our flagship programmes to generate knowledge, technical and professional skills for national and global development, among others.

TVET – Govt’s priority area

Madam Justina Owusu Banahene, the Bono Regional Minister who launched the two documents on behalf of the Education Minister stated that the government of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has set for itself the task of re-engineering technical and vocational education in Ghana to become abreast with modern trends.

“In furtherance of this, President Akufo-Addo during his first term in office cut the sod for the commencement of work on the upgrade and modernization of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system in Ghana to add to earlier interventions aimed at positioning TVET at the centre of development policy.”

The Minister said there is a multi-pronged approach to the push for greater attention to TVET as it has been the resolve of the government of President Akufo-Addo to make technical and vocational education a major component of Ghana’s educational curriculum.