That, it said, was to enable NVTI graduates to be abreast of such technology as they ventured into the world of work.

“The tools and equipment we have been using for many years have worn out, and we are calling for replacement. Without replacing those tools, the training will not be complete,” the President of the NVTI SSA, Mr Philip Effah-Attakorah, said.

He was speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic on the sidelines of the SSA Annual General Meeting in Accra.

Key issues

Mr Effah-Attakorah said key among the issues that came up at the meeting were staff motivation, understaffing and the retooling of the various training institutions.

“As the years go by, there are senior members who leave on retirement and resignation. If these people are not replaced, the workload is shifted to those who are at post without any remuneration,” he said.

He said the association, which was a welfare association, looked at the welfare of its members to ensure that they were comfortable.

“Ours is to help in the manpower training of the institute. For NVTI, we are saying that no student comes to the domain and leaves just the way they came,” he said, adding that, “The person must leave with a skill, but without a sufficient number of staff members available, we will not be able to deliver any skill to that person.”

The Executive Director of the NVTI, Mr Stephen Bismark Amponsah, said management had observed that the shift from trade-related programmes pursued by some staff members to other general qualifications was barely being felt on performance.

“This is affecting quality of instruction, supervision and finishing,” he said.