The Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU) has this year increased admissions by 112 per cent over last year's admission. 

The university received 3,563 applications, out of which 3,372 qualified applicants were admitted, increasing the population of the university to 6,123.

They include 41 students offering master of technology, 2,355 pursuing a Bachelor of Science, 272 higher national diploma students and 704 diploma students made up of 1,420 males and 1,090 females.

Speaking at this year's matriculation for freshmen of the university last Friday, the Vice- Chancellor of the CCTU, Professor Kwaku Adutwum Ayim Boakye, said the era where vocational and technical education were looked down upon as the preserve of unintelligent or academically poor students was long gone.

"Today, in many advanced countries and in Ghana, TVET, the programmes you are reading are quickly becoming the preferred programmes of choice," he stated.

He said it was now becoming an increasingly common phenomenon that some graduates of traditional universities were enrolling into TVET universities to start afresh.

"My dear friends, TVET is the future and you must count yourselves lucky to be studying TVET at this time of your life," he added, urging the students to be confident about their programmes of study.

Academic contract

Prof. Boakye said the matriculation ceremony symbolised an academic contract between the students and the university, saying the university would provide them with a world-class education.

Students taking the matriculation oath

As part of efforts to ensure quality teaching and learning, he said the university was implementing an aggressive renovation project of its lecture halls and equipping same with projectors and furniture.

He said work on 10 lecture halls was almost completed, while work on 20 other lecture halls would begin soon to create a conducive environment for effective teaching and learning.

Prof. Boakye further stated that the university council had declared 2025 the year of the student, saying improved classrooms, teaching and learning would be the focus.

He said the university had also introduced new competitive programmes, recruited more lecturers and was reexamining the curriculum to let it reflect modern trends, all geared at ensuring quality teaching outcomes.

Soft skills

He said this year, the university would begin its soft skills programme, which was designed to build confidence in its students and adequately position them for the field of work, either as job creators or employees.

Prof. Boakye said the university was working to provide more accommodation facilities, adding that it had signed an agreement with a private developer to build a hostel, while management was in talks with banks to acquire funding to build the 40th-anniversary hostel to further ease accommodation challenges for students.

He urged the students to renew their perceptions about themselves and technical and vocational education and strive for excellence.

He advised them to make use of the resources available and pursue hard work and excellence to stand out because the world had become competitive.

He also urged them to build good character of integrity, responsibility and resilience, saying success was not only about the grades one achieved but about the character built and contributions to society.

The students took the matriculation oath, pledging to abide by the university's rules and regulations.