Provide Purely Technical Education Capable of Solving Unemployment – Prof. Yankah

Prof. Kwesi Yankah

Ghana’s Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah, has urged Technical Universities in the country to stick to their mandate of providing purely technical education that is capable of solving the problem of unemployment in the country.

He said as a country, Ghana needs more technically trained graduates who are skilled, possess the right balance of theory and practice and are capable of delivering hands on technical know-how with little supervision like the one envisaged in the Technical University Act.

According to him, irrespective of the increasing salaries of the tertiary populations of many third world developing countries, they are still challenged by a development paradigm that is often described as sluggish.

“We need more people educated in technical, vocational and professional skills and less in general knowledge. That way, we will be producing skill sets aligned to the needs of the country”, he said in a speech read for him at the 11^th congregation of the Tamale Technical University (TaTU).

One thousand six hundred and ninety-four (1,694) students successfully graduated over the weekend at TaTU. 33 of the graduands had first class with the accountancy department leading with 13 first class holders whereas 409 got second class upper, 960 second class lower, 219 passes and 79 competent. 

The graduands successfully completed their Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in engineering, building, accounting, marketing, ICT, secretaryship and management, electricals, statistics, hotel, catering and institutional management, media and communications, tourism and industrial arts.

Seventy-three (73) graduated from the Agric Engineering Department, 40 from Mechanical Engineering, Building Technology 64, Electricals 61, Statistics 140, Information Communication and Technology 105, Hotel Catering and Institutional Management 103, Industrial Arts 31, Media and Communication Studies 21, Tourism 27, Accountancy 562, Marketing 262, Secretaryship and Management Studies 205.

Interim Vice Chancellor of the TaTU, Professor Abdulai Salifu Asuro, said in order to meet the demand for specialized manpower for the world of work, the academic board of the university had worked on a number of proposals to mount new programmes.

“…..the university mounted bachelor of technology degrees in Agriculture Engineering and Accountancy last academic year. Other non-tertiary programmes that have been lined up for upgrading to HND level are Carpentry and Joinery as well as Welding and Fabrication.  

Prof. Abdulai Salifu Asuro

“Some of the programmes we’re considering are HND Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Bilingual Secretaryship and Management Studies, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineering, Purchasing and Supply and Business Informatics as well as Bachelors in Technology, Construction Engineering, Tropical Agriculture, ICT and Mechanical Engineering”, he said.

Prof. Asuro also announced that, between February 11^th and 13^th 2018, the university would be holding an international research conference and about 60 research papers from polytechnics in Ghana and across the world would be invited for presentation.

In line with plans to become a fully-fledged university, Tamale Technical University has also build facilities such as a hospital, machine shop, offices for lecturers, water reservoir for students, campus radio and among others to provide key services to students and the academia. 

The hospital is a 53 bed capacity facility which provides services in many areas including paediatrics, inpatient and out-patient services and laboratory services among others.