The Akenten Appiah-Minka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), has developed 78 new programmes to complement efforts at promoting skills training and entrepreneurial development education in Ghana.
Professor Frederick Kwaku Sarfo, the Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University who announced this, said the programmes which were related to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as well as Agriculture Technical Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) were developed in consultation with major stakeholders, particularly the industries.
Fifteen of these programmes are fully accredited with the rest being at various stages in the accreditation processes.
Speaking at the first Congregation of AAMUSTED in Kumasi, he pledged the University’s commitment to continuously train and motivate staff to use competency-based training methodology in delivery.
A total of 1,248 made up of 155 post graduate students and 1,093 undergraduates graduated.
Prof. Sarfo said the University had recorded consistent increases in student enrolment since becoming autonomous in 2020 with student population increasing from 17,639 in 2020 to 26,576 in 2023.
The Vice-Chancellor disclosed that the University could not accommodate even five per cent of students on its two campuses, and appealed for more residential accommodation, lecture halls, workshops, and laboratories with modern equipment to cope with the increasing number of students.
Mrs Gifty Twum Ampofo, Deputy Minister of Education in-charge of TVET, said the Ministry was dedicated to promoting innovation and creativity among the youth through the implementation of policies and reforms that prioritise Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
These efforts aim to equip students with the skills required to succeed in the fourth industrial revolution, fostering a skilled workforce and driving economic growth.
The Minister mentioned that the Government was investing in the construction of five STEM-based universities in Ghana in the newest regions, an initiative, which would substantially increase student enrolment in programmes critical to accelerating Ghana’s industrialisation.
Again, through a series of effective initiatives, the government had successfully increased Ghana’s Gross Tertiary Enrolment Ratio (GTER) to 20 per cent, a significant improvement from the previous year’s 18.84 per cent.
This steady progress demonstrates the government’s commitment to reaching a GTER of 40 per cent by 2030, a critical milestone for the nation’s overall development, she noted.
She said the Government recognized that the world was rapidly evolving, necessitating constant effort to provide students with the best possible education.
The Deputy Minister implored the graduands to make positive impact with the knowledge they had acquired, uplift others and contribute to the development of communities, the nation and the world at large.
SOURCE: NEWSGHANA