Partnership For Applied Sciences Project Launched At Cape Coast Technical University

The Partnership for Applied Sciences (PASS) Project has been launched at the Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU). The PASS Project is a collaborative programme between Cape Coast Technical University, Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) and three German Universities of Applied Sciences namely Hochshule Bonn Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS), the University of Koln and the University of Bad Honnef.

The Partnership which is aimed at capacity building of staff of the two Ghanaian Technical Universities has five (5) deliverables. These are:

a. Competency based teaching and learning
b. Curriculum development in sustainable energy and renewable energy and Tourism and Hospitality

c. Capacity building of members of management
d. Entrepreneurship and business incubation (networking with the private sector

e. Pilot programmes (Eco Guest House at CCTU and Green Campus Design Project at KsTU).

Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Minister of Education in Charge of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and the Member of Parliament of Parliament for Cape Coast North Constituency, Hon. Barbara Asher Ayisi reiterated government's commitment to technical and vocational education. According to the Deputy Minister, as part of His Excellency Akufo Addo's economic transformation agenda, emphasis is being placed on the provision of quality TVET as one of the key strategies for empowering the youth with relevant skills and competencies to take advantage of emerging jobs in the various sectors of the economy. "Technical ad Vocational Education and Training (TVET) forms the bedrock for development of every country. Countless examples of this phenomenon can be found across the globe", she added.

In his address, the Vice Chancellor for the Cape Coast Technical University, Prof. Lawrence Atepor expressed his excitement towards the realisation of this partnership and thanked its German partners for their commitment towards capacity building of Ghanaian Technical Universities. He also commended government for its continued support to technical and vocational education in Ghana.

Prof. Jurgen Bode, the Vice President of International Affairs at H-BRS reminded Ghanaian Technical Universities of their mandate to train highly skills professionals in the area of technical and vocational education. "In Germany, Lecturers interest in practical work is mandatory and that is the basis of promotion from Senior Lectureship to Professorship", he stated.

In delivering the keynote address, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, the Minister of State Tertiary underscored the importance of TVET to national development and indicated his ministry's resolve to bring all TVET training institutions that are scattered across eighteen (18) ministries under the Ministry of Education. To show our commitment to TVET, the ministry now has a Deputy Minister who is solely in charge of TVET and very soon we are going to have a TVET Council headed by a Director General, he indicated. Prof. Yankah also disclosed that plans are far advanced to hold TVET Conference in March this year.

The country Director for DAAD, Dr. Mrs. Heike Heldmann-Okinda expressed her delight to be part of the project and indicated her outfit's willingness to sponsor projects that aim at improving the livelihood of the people.

The launch which was chaired by Prof. N. N. N Nsowah Nuamah, Rector of Regent University of Science and Technology and a former Rector of the Kumasi Polytechnic had participants from Accra, Cape Coast and Kumasi Technical Universities as well as private sector players from the Central Region.

The funding for this project is from DAAD/MIWF and it will run for a four (4) year period with budgetary allocation of 200,000 Euros.