Employment and Social Welfare Minister, Stephen Amoanor Kwao, on Friday inaugurated the Board of the National Vocation Training Institute (NVTI) in Accra and said the government would fulfil its educational responsibilities as enshrined in the constitution to make technical and vocational education the preferred choice for the youth.
He said the task ahead looked daunting but the varied background and expertise of members of the Board could be brought on board for the efficient management of the institute and its centres to enable it to achieve laudable objectives.
The Minister said NVTI had been operating for nearly 40 years and had executed its mandate over the years supervising some 37 vocational centres spread throughout the country and developing standards testing in vocational, secretarial and Information Communication Technology skills, among others.
These activities are geared towards providing the country with middle-level manpower to help develop the nation, he said, and added that more needed to be done for the nation to attain middle income status.
"Out of the annual average turnout of about 360,000 Junior High School graduates 160,000 are not placed by the computer selection and placement and these youth who are not placed, if equipped with the requisite skills, can contribute meaningfully towards the development of the nation," he said.
The board, he said, therefore had a huge task, especially at the time when education in country had been reformed to position itself to meet current demands adding that the institute was focusing on formal apprenticeship by registering master crafts persons and apprentices to offer them with upgrading skills and starting programmes in the oil extraction industry, among others.
He challenged the board to expand, modernise content and retool technical institutions to offer hope and real jobs to the youth and erase the impression that technical education was a second avenue or inferior.
Board Chairman, Dr. Richard Bani, expressed appreciation for the confidence repose in them and asked the ministry to give them the needed support to change the face of technical education in the country.
Other members of the board are Mr. Emmanuel Zumakpeh, Mrs Alice Boone, Mr. Stephen Amponsah, and Mr David Dorkenoo
The rest are Mr Isaac Yanney, Mr. Mate Korle, Mr T.K Gyau and Mr Dominic Pealore.