First Lady urges NVTI graduates to become TVET ambassadors

First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo has asked graduates of the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) to make good use of the skills acquired in selling the success story and ideas of Technical Vocational Education Training (TVET) to others.

Mrs Akufo-Addo, who is also a TVET ambassador, speaking at the graduation ceremony of some 400 trainees under the Migration and Employment Promotion (MEP) project in Accra on Wednesday, said technical and vocational education is a priority of the Akufo-Addo government.

She said the government would be undertaking similar projects as a major antidote to the unemployment situation in the country in its second term.

According to her, the government has already spent about US$600M on TVET, and, through commitment, the expenditure has yielded substantial dividends in terms of infrastructural and human resource development.

“This is a government that is committed to resolving the unemployment situation, empowering the youth and creating sustainable livelihoods for its citizens,” she said.

MEP project

The Executive Director of NVTI, Mawusi Nudekor Awity, stated that the government, in collaboration with the German government, in 2018 initiated a skills training project, christened “Short Term Skills Training for Ghanaians Returning from the Diaspora and Potential Migrants”.

Mrs Awity said trainees acquired hard skills component in 11 areas, including carpentry, hairdressing, beadworks, fashion design, leatherworks auto-electronics, catering, general electrical tiling, masonry and auto-mechanic, in all the 26 NVTI accredited institutions drawn from public and private vocational training institutes as well as the involvement of master craft persons.

She said about 77 trainees graduated in six skill areas in Sunyani; 110 trainees in seven skill areas in Kumasi; and 213 trainees in 11 skill areas in Accra, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 400, comprising 293 females and 107 males

The duration of the training ranged from three to eight months.

Modernising vocational education

She commended the government for the bold initiative to transform vocational education in Ghana through the Modernization of Vocational Education Project being implemented by the Ministry of Education.

“The project involves the upgrading of infrastructure in the 34 vocational training institutes of NVTI as well as the NVTI head office, two OIC training institutes and two foundries,” she explained. She added that the 27 existing curriculum of the NVTI would be reviewed under the project to make TVET in Ghana robust.

All the trainees were provided with startup tools to begin their businesses and also transfer the acquired skills to other young people.

Source: dailystatesman.com.gh/Paul Nyojah Dalafu