Dubbed ‘Amnesty’ the programme includes students in the 10 technical universities, as well as other tertiary institutions offering diploma and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes and which were affiliated to the then National Board for Professional and Technician Examinations (NABPTEX).

It covers students who enrolled but could not do the mandatory number of years to enable them to graduate and those who dropped out because of financial challenges or ill-health.

It includes students who enrolled from 2000/2001 to date.

Those qualified have three years’ opportunity to take advantage of the offer, which seeks to rope in a more qualified skilled workforce for industry.

Briefing

Briefing journalists on the programme, the Director-General of the CTVET, Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, said the decision was taken by the board of CTVET and asked all affected students to contact their various institutions for the detailed implementation modalities.

He said the board had also approved that with effect from the 2022/23 academic year, students who gained admission to offer diploma and HND in tertiary technical institutions would have eight years to satisfy all certification requirements, including the period for regular studies.

TVET

Dr Asamoah, who was flanked by his two deputies, Mr Peter Antwi Boasiako and Dr Tina Abrefa-Gyan, further explained that TVET was designed to prepare individuals for vocations or a specialised occupation “and so it is directly linked to a nation’s productivity and competitiveness”.

He said for sustainable development to take place, there was the need to train and make available to the industry a highly skilled human resource to serve as key drivers of the economy, adding that “this is why these decisions have been taken”.

“I am confident that our technical universities will be able to adequately implement this new directive for the good of everyone concerned,” Dr Asamoah said.

He said CTVET had already engaged the vice-chancellors of the various technical universities, who had put in place measures to enable the students to continue and complete their respective courses.