24-Hour economy: Strategic role of technical universities
For the operationalisation of the 24-hour economy, it behoves Technical Universities (TUs) to serve as enablers.
Working beyond the normal daylight operations may demands more than just night shifts; it actually requires an erudite Knowledge Management (KM) strategy where individual knowledge is exploited to promote and sustain productivity around the clock.
The dictum of the 24-hour economy is strategically knit with the mandate of the TUs as enshrined in the Technical University Act 2016, (Act 922) as Amended in 2018 in Act 974.
The exogenous roles of the TUs in the 24 – hour economy is fully discussed in the following proceedings.
Industrialisation through tacit knowledge
The success of the 24-hour economy largely depends on vigorous industrialisation.
Technical universities are uniquely placed to manage and explore tacit knowledge of employees based on the hands-on learning used in tutoring the students.
Thus, the mandate of aligning curricula with industry needs which ensured that the experiential knowledge gained is not just taught but discovered, captured and applied for 24/7 industry
Conversely, a 24-hour cycle involves three (eight-hour) shifts. Emphatically, this arrangement requires knowledge discovering i.e., the systematic collection of expertise from experienced workers to train new labour.
Essentially, technical universities could achieve this through:
a. Codifying Skills: Transforming complex industrial processes into accessible training modules for rapid workforce expansion.
b. Continuous Learning: Implementing "round-the-clock TV education" and dawn or evening sessions to allow continuous skill upgrading without interrupting the work cycle.
c. Capturing knowledge: Technical skills and insights in solving problems could be captured or documented and shared across members on shift. This would suffice when a maintenance problem arises during the night shift.
Building 24/7 knowledge ecosystem
AI and real-time communication tools should be embedded into KM processes to ensure data is readily available during shift transitions.
This dynamic knowledge ecosystem can be built by the Technical Universities.
For instance, the 24-hour library services at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and other universities in Ghana provide the necessary infrastructure to support students and faculty members access information around the clock.
In addition, teaching and other academic activities could be done after the 8a.m. – 5p.m. period to prepare students’ mindset on the 24-hour economy work standards.
Bridging productivity gap
There is a yawning gap of employees’ productivity in most Ghanaian institutions. Employers are complaining of skills mismatch between targets education and skills training.
Harnessing Competency-Based Training (CBT), comprehensive industrial training and other experiential training techniques, TUs could prevent mission-drift and ensure that productivity and innovation are enhanced.
They must develop strong linkages with businesses to ensure training remains market-driven. Collaborating with businesses through industrial attachment, field trips and others would reduce the productivity gap.
Aligning with the 24-hour economy, it is imperative to create campus-based business incubators that would operate 24/7.
This would allow students to experience the 24-hour transition experience from their classroom to the real-world.
In addition, establishing incubator or innovation hubs would promote innovation to promote spring of job start - up in the foreseeable future.
Technical universities should secure funding for updated machinery and digital simulations so students would gain experience on the actual technologies such as the AI, robotics and coding used in the modern 24-hour manufacturing plants.
The implementation of digital labs and usage of cases for teaching and learning would further position the graduates of TUs for the 24-hour economy.
For the 24-hour economy to be a sustainable reality rather than a slogan, technical universities must lead in managing the nation’s intellectual capital.
By treating knowledge as a strategic asset, these institutions can provide the skilled workforce and innovative solutions required to keep Ghana's gears turning 24 hours economy a reality.
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The writer is an Associate Professor of Management,
Dean of the Faculty of Business and Management Studies.
Koforidua Technical University, Koforidua.
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