As part of the United Nations’ (UN) World Youth Skills Day Celebration (WYSD), the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, which is a member of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation- International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (UNESCO-UNEVOC), has organised an exhibition aimed at Inspiring the Youth and Improving their Perception about the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).”
Welcoming the participants, the Head, Department of Vocation and Technical Education, Dr. Augustina Araba Amissah, explained that the celebration was marked every 15th July, across the Globe by UN to emphasise the importance of TVET in providing the youth with the opportunity to develop their competencies and accelerate their transitions to work.
She added that in collaboration with other UNEVOC centres, the Department had also organised skills training in fascinator and beads making and cake decoration.
Dr. Amissah commended the organisers of the programme and urged participants to participate fully in the celebration in order to realise its relevance.
Skill-set Course Prepares you for Job Market
In a remark, the guest of honour, Prof. Eric Wilmot, commended participants for choosing a skill-set course, because it would automatically make them skilled-workers specially prepared for the job market. Stressing on the need to equip the youth with skills, Prof. Wilmot, who is the Provost, College of Education Studies, said, “The skills that the citizens have determined how strong the economy is. Therefore, there is the need to match up the work-force with the skills of the local people to save the country from investing in foreign skills.” He encouraged participants to take their education seriously to ensure that they mastered whatever special skills they were learning in order to realise their dreams and gain recognition. “The future is bright for you, but it depends on whether you are willing to take advantage of the present dispensation or not. I want to entreat you that whatever you are doing, make sure that you are recognised,” he explained. The Provost urged the participants to use the occasion as an avenue to acquire new knowledge and ideas to improve their skills so as to create opportunities for themselves, even when white-collar jobs become unavailable.
Mathematics is Key in TVET Programmes
The Head of Department of Mathematics and ICT Education, Dr. Kofi Ayebi Arthur, said the use of Mathematics in TVET was very paramount and for that matter, participants should take the subject seriously since what they were engaged in had a lot to do with mathematics. Explaining further, he said, “you still need Maths, to enable you to use tools, materials and equipment for measurements and conversions.”
Dr. Ayebi Arthur urged the participants to always see time as very important and be guided by it because it would help them to serve their clients promptly. He also noted that Information Technology has become very useful, and therefore, called on the participants to learn how to use software packages and the internet for support services and advertising. He advised the students to separate personal accounts from business accounts, and use mathematics and ICT to promote, advance, advertise and grow their business.”
Make Good Use of Internet
The Dean, Centre for International Education, who represented the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rosemond Boohene, acknowledging the usefulness of ICT, cautioned the youth to make use of the internet and social media for entrepreneurial, business and profitable objectives. She also hinted that “countries have recognised the potentials in people with skills in TVET and are willing to employ them, rather than those with any other degrees. Therefore, you must take advantage of the skills you are being taught and develop the right competencies towards them.” Prof. Boohene advised the young people to improve upon their entrepreneurial skills, and attitudes, and develop a character of good and prompt services.
WSD Aims at Youth Development Skills
The Vice-Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology Education, Prof. Douglas Adjei, who chaired the function, said the programme was laudable since it was intended to raise the awareness about the relevance of youth development skills. He noted, “The aim of the WYSD to advocate for skills as an important factor to improve young people’s transitions to decent work, and to highlight the crucial role of skilled youth in addressing today’s most challenging global issues is a step in the right direction.” He explained that young people were almost three times more likely to be unemployed than adults and continuously face the challenges of greater labour market inequalities.
The chairman charged the youth to act on the messages they heard in order to get enriched in their fields of competencies and entreated them to be innovative entrepreneurs by checking their attitudes towards work, clients and people they work with. Prof. Adjei concluded that “remember that you have been given the skill to create jobs, employ others and contribute your quota to the development of our mother Ghana.”
Certificates were presented to candidates who successfully completed a three-day beads making, fascinator making and cake decoration course which was organised by VOTEC as part of the WYSD celebration.
In attendance were a representative from the office the Registrar, Ms. Elizabeth Yankah, Senior Lecturer, VOTEC, Dr. (Mrs.) Christina Boateng, Deputy Manager, Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Institute, Biriwa, and representatives from other Vocational and Technical Institutions in Central Region.
The participants and exhibitors for the WYSD Celebration and Exhibition included students from the Department of Vocational and Technical Education, UCC, Biriwa Vocational Training and Rehabilitation Institute, Cape Coast Technical Institute, and freelance artists in and around Cape Coast.