Challenge for 21st Century industry in Ghana, Africa: Constance Swaniker on precision quality, technical skills

“African made products are fast crossing over into the global mainstream and there is a rising demand for technically skilled labour by employers. For most African economies, including Ghana, inadequate training to equip the youth with modern industrial work-ready skills have become a bane.”

The above declaration set the tone for a meeting at the Labadi Beach Hotel (Accra, June 23, 2021). On the theme, “Precision Quality Policy Stakeholders Conference”, the event was hosted by the partnership of Design and Technology Institute (DTI) and MasterCard Foundation in collaboration with the National Development Planning Commission.

Precision quality curriculum

The preamble further noted that “Poor industry standards, lack of certification and poor regulatory framework have crippled the competitiveness of entrepreneurs and SMEs at both the local and global levels.” For that reason, DTI promoted a Precision Quality (PQ) Curriculum that enhanced the technical education and training to meet industry requirements.

The curriculum combined practice and theory to impart the soft skills needed to dominate the technical and vocational skill sectors.

The PQ merges classroom, E-Learning and on-site training. Whilst learning the theory, participants put to practise the knowledge they acquire in their workshops, factories, and offices. The training involves two sessions per week over a period of five weeks. It can also be customised to the needs of beneficiaries.

In her introductory remarks, the CEO and Founder of DTI and Accents and Art Ltd, Ms Constance Swaniker, noted that the last time they held a similar conference was to introduce the concept of Precision Quality and the Precision Quality Training Programme to the public.

They were mandated then to advocate for long-term policy strategies and workable policies that ensure precision quality in industry: a training programme that insisted on theory and practical training matching industry standards. Edited slightly, her remarks were as follows:

Swaniker remarks

We graciously accepted the challenge and followed up by preparing the minds of the academia, industry and crafts persons to the idea of Precision Quality. We knew that we will only succeed by changing mindsets by the example of our work. 

We have deliberately developed an approach to manufacturing to help meet the overwhelming challenges of this new world and grafted it into our system.

We identified the inspiration for our ideas and showed how we indoctrinated our students with them. Even though our effort thus far is a drop in the bucket, I am delighted about the national acclaim with which our concepts were received. I am overwhelmed and encouraged by the reaction of both the public and private sectors. 

They believed that once Precision Quality is accepted as a way of life, it would bring many advantages to the youth of Ghana and Africa. This conference is a follow up to the theme of the last conference. This time, we are taking it closer to where ultimate decisions can be made to integrate them into the national syllabus.

The imminent explosion in the world’s population is centred on our continent and we believe that the solutions to managing the affairs of this population will also depend on how African affairs and economies are governed.

We are on the threshold of a new industrial revolution which will be every bit as pervasive as the other industrial revolutions of the previous centuries and we should be prepared to meet it. We are not alone in our evaluation of the future prospects of the continent.

Ho Technical University

By a miracle of coincidences, the Ho Technical University has adopted Precision Quality as part of their curriculum and the Vice Chancellor is working with his staff, students and master crafts people in the Volta Region to make it a reality.

The minister for Employment and Labour Relations is convinced of the power of PQ as a change agent; the NDPC readily bought into the campaign when we approached the Director General and his staff to insert PQ in the TVET policy, and the minister of Education and the director general of CTVET see this as an essential part of the educational system.

We thank the director general of CTVET, especially for the timely accreditation of the PQ curriculum. On the continent, The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is firmly established on Ghana’s soil and among its many laudable projects; it is spotlighting trade opportunities for women and Youth.

The African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) recently elected the Director-General of the Ghana Standards Authority, Professor Alex Dodoo, as the president of the continental standards authority for the years 2022-2025. His mandate is to develop tools for standards development and harmonisation.

He will supervise the implementation of these systems to enhance Africa’s internal capacity, increase its product and service competitiveness globally, and uplift the welfare of African consumers, as well as standardisation for future prospects in international trade.

Those who spoke on “Perspectives on Precision Quality At Work” included the Minister of Employment and Labor Relations, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah; the Chief Operating Officer, Co-Founder and Principal Architect, Spektra Global, Ms Karen Halm; the Founder and CEO, Cadling Fashions and KAD manufacturing Ltd, Ms Linda Ampah; a Pediatrician Specialist and Medical Director, Nyaho Medical Centre, Accra, Dr Victoria Lokko;  Ghana Netherlands Business and Culture Council, Joana Pomaa Chemel; and Software Executive, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Rancard Solutions, Ehigozie Binitie.]

E-mail: anishaffar@gmail.com