Ing. Peter Antwi Boasiako, Deputy Director-General of CTVET
A Deputy Director-General of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Ing. Peter Antwi Boasiako, has emphasised that investing substantially in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is the key to addressing the pressing issue of youth unemployment across African nations.
Speaking during the “Africa Tech Challenge (ATC) Awards 2023” event held in Nairobi, Kenya, he implored African leaders to recognise the immense potential of TVET in equipping young people with the technological and entrepreneurial skills needed to thrive in the modern job market.
He stressed the importance of empowering the youth to acquire employable skills and entrepreneurial know-how to position them to create their own self-employment opportunities rather than relying solely on government employment prospects.
The event, held under the auspices of the CSR Youth Empowerment project, aimed to enhance technical skills among students pursuing technical programmes in Africa while fostering an entrepreneurial spirit to promote innovation among the continent’s youth.
Ing. Antwi Boasiako also emphasised that governments alone cannot generate employment opportunities for all citizens. Instead, he highlighted the pivotal role of partnerships between governments, private businesses, and individual entrepreneurs in job creation.
The ATC
The ATC was jointly organised by the Ministry of Education of Kenya, AVIC International Holding Corporation, and China Education Association for International Exchange (CAIE).
The ATC competition featured two components: the on-site Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Lathe Machining competition in Kenya and the virtual Mechanical Drawing & Computer-Aided Design Software Applications competition.
The competition spanned five weeks, involving 83 teams comprising 332 participants from nine African countries: Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Gabon, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
The highlight of the award ceremony was the presence of the Deputy President of Kenya, Geoffrey Rigathi Gachagua, who represented the President of Kenya as the Special Keynote Speaker. In his address, he underscored the significance of providing young people with high-quality, job-ready training and practical, demand-driven skills.
He recognised that these skills empower youth to achieve financial independence and contribute substantially to national economic development.
He also acknowledged the evolving role of youth in shaping the future. He stated, “Gone are the days when we used to say that youths are the future leaders; today, the youths are not only the future leaders but are the drivers of our future due to the rapid changes in technology and innovation”.
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