Standardisation in TVET key to quality workforce — Panellists
Panellists at a forum on the private sector’s contribution to skills development have advocated the development and enforcement of standards in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) space to produce a quality work force to transform the world of work.
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Proliferation
With the proliferation of TVET schools training, the country’s workforce in the area of construction, fashion designing, cosmetology, among others, the panellists are of the view that having a standard certification for all students in the sector is the surest way to ensure professionalism and make them competitive on the global landscape.
The panellists were the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cadling Fashions and KAD Manufacturing Limited, Linda Yaa Ampah; the CEO of Pacific Tour and Pacific Solutions, Dr Kwasi Eyison; a tech business leader, Ethel Cofie, and a Construction Engineer, Seth Ayim.
The panellists represented various sectors of some 12 Sector Skills Bodies established as government’s transformation strategy to improve upon the governance and management of TVET.
Operating under the Commission for TVET, the Sector Skills Bodies are made up of related industries that come together under a common structure to drive growth and competitiveness across the sector by focusing on exploration of business opportunities, innovation and capacity needs within the sectors.
The forum was organsied by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) in partnership with German Corporation (GIZ).
It was on the theme, “Industry and Skills Development and Future of Work and Decent Work: Role of Industry”.
Textiles
Speaking on the textile industry, Mrs Ampah said the industry needed to be competitive.
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To make this possible, she stressed the need for academia and industry to work closely to design a common curriculum for the industry.
She noted that her sector was not only limited to fashion designing but areas such as pattern making, production management, industrial engineering, quality assurance, among others.
Ms Cofie said in order to make the ICT sector more appealing to the TVET ecosystem, courses in computer engineering must include fintech and Artificial Intelligence in the curriculum.
This would ensure that graduates from that sector are equipped with skills that meet future demands.
Outlining efforts towards ensuring ethics in the construction space, Mr Ayim said since 2019, his association had trained close to 1,000 craftsmen.
They include bricklayers, carpenters, masons, plumber’s, among others, adding: “We are bringing our professional bodies and educational institutions together to ensure there are standards and ethics”.
Hospitality
For the hospitality sector, Dr Eyison said the sector relied heavily on customer satisfaction.
With a diverse workforce, he noted that his association had developed a self-taught assessment and learning materials to help people in the sector understand customer experience.
The Deputy Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Ghana, Ramona Simon, said the German government's investment to TVET initiatives in the country reflected its conviction to transforming potential of skills development to improve communities, empower individuals and contribute to national prosperity.
A Deputy Minister of Education in charge of TVET, Gifty Twum-Ampofo, called on private sector and industry players to support the government’s efforts at placing TVET at the centre of training the next generation of the country’s labour force.
Donation
GIZ, through its pact for skills project, also donated items to the sector skills bodies.
The items included 13 desktop computers, desktop organiser set, steel cabinet, laser printer, laptop computers, projector, Bluetooth speaker, among others.
The pact for skills project is a four-year project to support the TVET sector.
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