Improvement in infrastructure, curriculum critical to TVET - Barffour-Awuah

Accra, Nov. 15, GNA – Mr Daniel Barffour-Awuah, the Executive Director of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training (COTVET), has called for the improvement of the infrastructure in technical and vocational institutions to make such programs attractive to people.

He said, “we need to develop the curriculum of technical and vocational and training programmes which would help make trainees of such programs gain easy access to jobs”.

Mr Barffour-Awuah said this on Tuesday during a hair dressing and garment making mini skills competition held at the premises of the COTVET office in Accra.

The programme which formed part of the newly created Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Week Celebrations was under the theme “Technical and Vocational Education in Ghana. Hope for the Future”.

Mr Barffour-Awuah said TVET was not for school dropouts adding that, “there is no difference between those who attend school and those involved in TVET. One cannot venture into TVET if one cannot read and write and understand English”.

He said COTVET was working hard to ensure that 8,000 people interested in TVET would be enrolled in a programme of their choice free of charge for a year's training in November.

He said the mini competition was held to encourage creativity, innovation, accuracy and healthy completion among craftsmen in the cosmetology and garment making industry.

Mr Barffour-Awuah said the week long celebration which stated on Monday 14th November, would be characterized by television and radio talk shows, donations, unveiling of the COTVET logo and a thanksgiving service.

The hairdressing competition attracted two representatives from the National Association of Beauticians and Hairdressers (NABH), Ghana Progressive Hairdressers and Beauticians Association (GPHBA) and United Hairdressers Association (UHA).

The garment makers were also represented by two people each from the Ghana National Tailors and Dressmakers Association and Corporative Association.

During the competition, representatives were given an hour to make a dinner hair-do for clients while the garment makers were given three hours to make an appropriate clothing for a client.

Gertrude Kumi from GPHBA was adjudged the winner while Georgina Donkor from NABH was declared the 1st runner-up and Germain Aburam also from NABH was declared the 2nd runner-up.

For the garment makers, Christiana Afreh from GNTDA was declared the winner, while John Agbeti from Corporative was declared the 1st runner-up with Kennedy Akrofi from GNTDA being adjudged the 2nd runner-up.

The winners received GH ¢ 1, 000 each, while 1st runners-up were also given GH¢600.

GNA