Mr Asamoah Duodu, Director for Technical and Vocational Education (TVET) at Ghana Education Service (GES), has expressed concern about public apathy towards technical education, despite its relevance to employment creation in the country.
He said although the sector had been acclaimed the foundation for development and could employ many Ghanaians it had not been given the desired attention.
Addressing a durbar to round-off activities marking the 48th anniversary celebration of Koforidua Technical Institute on Saturday, Mr Duodu called for a "re-thinking of the direction of our education policies" to embrace options that could empower individuals to take control of their lives.
He was optimistic that "a fresh awareness" among African policy makers could ensure the critical role TVET could play in national development and poverty reduction.
Mr Duodu noted that efforts by African leaders towards TVET remained marginal compared to the significant achievement it had made in Germany and Singapore where they placed more emphasis on technical and vocational education compared to Ghana.
He said nearly 70 per cent of school leavers in Germany had undergone some form of TVET training and an even higher margin in Singapore but interestingly in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa, the education system continued to aim at seeing only those who end up at the Universities "as worthy of being adequately rewarded".
Mr Duodu pointed out that this "purely academic oriented education" would continue to create problems for African Countries because the grammar policy often invariably failed to "equip students with occupational skills or to any occupational opportunities while in school".
"All I am saying is that our reward system seriously disadvantaged those without University degrees irrespective of the skills they have" and the "large number of young men and women in the cities and rural areas who are unemployed although they have had the benefit of some formal education".
Mr Kwadwo Affram-Asiedu, Eastern Regional Minister in a speech read on his behalf, was optimistic that the new impetus being given technical education would augment Ghana's industrialization drive and help in the production of goods and services.
Such an effort, he said, should assist in reducing poverty rates through emphasis on job creation to increase income for households.
Nana Kwasi Adjei Boateng, New Juaben Municipal Chief Executive, gave the assurance of continuous investment in infrastructure facilities to enable the institute discharge its role effectively and efficiently.
Mr Eric Gyamera, Principal of the institute, expressed appreciation to government for the provision of some facilities and called for more investment in the institute to deliver on its mandate.