The Deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Gifty Twum-Ampofo, who made the call, also advised master craftsmen to make themselves available for training and also take advantage of the digital era to learn new skills.

She said it was important for master craftsmen to have the right skills to help build the nation.

“Make yourselves available for all forms of training and be humble enough to unlearn what you already know and learn new things at all times,” she said.

Anniversary launch

She was speaking on behalf of the sector minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, during the launch of ATU’s 75th anniversary in Accra yesterday.

It was on the theme: “75 years of impacting society and driving innovation”.

The anniversary logo unveiled at the event had a metallic gold and Bahama blue colours, representing the institution’s commitment to being a trusted source of TVET and academic work, and its dedication to upholding high academic standards.

Activities for the anniversary include games, CEO series/public lecture, Vice-Chancellors’ conference, awards and dinner night, grand exhibition and fashion show, anniversary concert and a thanksgiving service.

TVET

Mrs Twum-Ampofo said about 10 technical universities had been well equipped with modern industrial TVET equipment to position them properly.

For the informal sector, she said the government had introduced the Ghana TVET Voucher Project, a system aimed at training master craftsmen and their apprentices in about 14 skilled areas, funded by the governments of Ghana and Germany.

“For the private sector and the institutions, we have the Ghana Skills Development Fund (GSDF) where private institutions, individuals and factories also benefit from grants of various quantum to expand their industries and improve their quality,” she said.

She said ATU, for its part, was enhancing its capacity to deliver quality technical education with support from the government.

“This support is not merely a financial commitment; it represents the government's belief in the transformative power of technical education to uplift communities, drive economic growth and propel our nation to new heights,” she said.

She commended the university for making changes to meet the shifting needs of its stakeholders such as introducing new courses, improving faculty training and planning of starting Master’s programmes in technology. 

Programmes

The acting Vice-Chancellor of ATU, Professor Amevi Acakpovi, outlined some achievements of the university such as increasing student intake, creating Centres of Excellence, acquiring a second campus at Mpehuasem, development of infrastructure and increase in revenue generation activities.

He, however, stated that they had challenges such as encroachment and poor access road to the Mpehuasem campus, clearance to recruit additional staff and the need for more vehicles.

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Dr Wilfred K. Anim-Odame, said the university’s curriculum spanned a wide range of programmes, including engineering, built environment, applied sciences, applied arts and business at various levels from Certificate to Bachelor of Technology.

He commended the government for its continuous support in making TVET meaningful in national development.