Artificial intelligence will complement artisans skills — CTVET Director-General

The Director-General of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, says the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will complement the skills of artisans.

He has, therefore, allayed the fears of people that AI will soon take away the jobs of TVET graduates.

Dr Asamoah explained that rather, the combination of AI and the skills of the artisans in the industry could bring about a new job creation, massive improvement in the development of every economy since the skills of the artisan in the creation and repair of certain equipment and products could not be underestimated in every economy. 

Workshop

At a TVET Trade Profile sensitisation workshop in Accra organised by the CTVET, in partnership with the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) last Friday, he said the workshop was aimed at sensitising the nation and all stakeholders in the TVET space.

It was attended by the Ghana Education Service (GES), the Ghana TVET Service (TVETS), the Guidance and Counselling Coordinators from the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Central and Western regions.

Also present were Development Partners such as German Development Agency (GIZ), Group Insight, AHK and Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) Ghana. 

Artisans

“Yes, artificial intelligence can do many things but it cannot do what our artisans need to do.

For instance, it cannot do the repairs and maintenance.

“Artificial intelligence can do so many things but people need skills to do so many other things,” Dr Asamoah said.

He posited that, “with internet and other technological advancement, skills training is still needed to augment the new development in the information and technology world to create more jobs and the only way we can do that is to have skills”.

Dr Kyei Asamoah praised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for his support towards the revamping of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and TVET to boost the transformation of the nation’s economy.

He tasked guidance and counselling coordinators to go to basic schools to counsel pupils on prospects in the selection of TVET courses.

That, according to him, would help them select courses they had an interest in or had a passion for so they could study it with much energy and excitement.

Changing narrative

He tasked guidance and counsellors coordinators in schools to redouble their effort at changing the narrative with students and gave the assurance that things would soon change if all stakeholders played their roles to ensure that TVET became the mainstay of the nation’s economy.

The director-general announced that CTVET was currently piloting guidance and counselling in 100 districts across the country for the next two years after which it would be reviewed before being rolled out in all schools.

The Head of Guidance and Career Counselling, the TVET Service, Madam Gifty Mensah, stated that career guidance was critical in the training of students since it helped them to know the prospects available to them after their courses of study.

She added that there was a need for junior high school students to be assisted with career guidance before they select their courses and write the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).