Explore opportunities in TVET: Explore opportunities in TVET

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has encouraged females to explore the numerous opportunities in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector.

The encouragement was given at the Second National Women in Technical and Vocational Education and Training conference in Accra on Tuesday, March 8, 2022.

It said TVET was a strong pillar of sustainable development and the era where TVET was wrongfully perceived as a male-dominated sector and for academically weak students had changed due to advocacy and better understanding.

Speaking at the day's conference, the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of TVET, Gifty Twum-Ampofo, said changing the negative perception about TVET and the role of females in the sector was a shared responsibility.

She said females had to consciously play their roles by surmounting all the challenges such as stereotyping because of society and cultural attitudes to demonstrate that it was possible for females to make it in the sector.

She said that could only be done if more women ventured into the sector.

Ms Twum-Ampofo said in recent times it had become easier to venture into the TVET sector because of increasing advocacy that was helping to change the negative perception and helping to create an enabling environment.

Conference

The day’s conference was held on the theme: “Promoting inclusive TVET, the role of women."

It was aimed at sensitising participants to the reforms and achievements in technical education, women inclusion and the successes of women in the sector to help change the negative perception hindering women from taking up technical and vocational professions.

It was organised by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) under the auspices of the MoE to also encourage more females to participate in TVET, particularly in male-dominated trade.

The organisation was supported by The Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), a German development cooperation agency, and World University Service of Canada.

Ghana Beyond Aid

Ms Twum-Ampofo said TVET was also critical to delivering the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda, because the policy required the competent skills of artisans and technicians to drive various sectors of the economy.

The conference, she said, was a platform to also showcase successful females in TVET businesses, as well as female TVET trainees and graduates to raise awareness of opportunities in the sector and its viability.

“Today is International Women’s Day and we congratulate all females and celebrate their efforts and successes.”

Commission

The Director-General of CTVET, Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, said the commission was established by an ACT of Parliament, the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020(Act 1023) to regulate, promote and administer technical and vocational education and training for transformation and innovation for sustainable development.

He said the mandate covered the tertiary and pre-tertiary; formal and informal, and public and private sectors.

Writer’s E-mail: doreen.andoh@graphic.com.gh