The Wa Polytechnic is in the process of running courses in Building Technology, Mechanical and Civil engineering using the Community Based Training (CBT) approach.
The CBT promotes application oriented teaching in a student-centred manner in which 60 to 70 per cent of teaching time is devoted to practical application.
Professor G.K.S Aflakpui, Rector of the Polytechnic, said they had already submitted a budget through the National Council for Tertiary
Education to the Ministry of Finance to enable the departments start the teaching and learning approach.
He was addressing the second congregation of the Polytechnic at Wa on Saturday during which 440 graduates who completed their programmes in
2009 and 2010 received their Higher National Diplomas.
Out of this number 180 completed their programmes in 2009 with 6.1 per cent obtaining first class while 260 of them completed in 2010 out of which 3.3 per cent had first class.
Professor Aflakpui said the School of Business continued to enjoy more patronage than the other courses.
He said the institution therefore had a lot of work to do to tilt the scales in favour of the Science and Technology programmes.
The Polytechnic, which was established in 1999 and admitted its first students in September 2003, has about 1500 students.
It mounts programmes in eight courses namely Accountancy,Secretaryship and Management Studies, Agricultural Engineering Mechanical
Engineering Building Technology, Estate Management and Information and Communication Technology.
The process of accreditation has begun towards the introduction of four new programmes namely, Industrial Art, Dispensing Technology
Cosmetology, Banking and Finance at the HND level, he added.
Professor Jacob Songsore, Chairman of the Polytechnic Council, said lack of hostel facilities to accommodate students on campus was making the Wa Polytechnic uncompetitive.
He said the Polytechnics needed the support of all stakeholders to develop their capabilities to play their role as career oriented-institutions that were suited to the needs of industry and the community at large.
He called for the release of additional funds to complete on-going projects in the Polytechnic.
Alhaji Issahaku Salia, the Upper West Regional Minister, said as part of the educational reforms, technical and vocational education would be repositioned to offer healthy blend of practical competency and practical oriented academic excellence.
He urged the graduates to be innovative and creative in whatever endeavour they would find themselves in life for society to reap from its
investments in them.