The country representative for ITEC Global Limited, Mr Papa Douglas Arthur Mensah who gave the commendation said the government’s moves towards structural reforms by setting up a TVET Service and TVET Council as well as dedicating a whole division of the Ghana Education Service to Technical and Vocational Education with its own Director-General was a step in the right direction.

He was speaking at the 10^th anniversary celebration and the 20^th Graduation ceremony on the theme: “Vocational Education and the social transformation of Ghana” Grace Hill School of Technology (GHIST) at Ankaful near Cape Coast in the Central Region, at the weekend.

Mr Mensah said the initiatives taken by government must be complemented with a commensurate funding to improve facilities workshops and laboratories, invest in state-of-the art equipment and training materials, improve the training of instructors and motivate them well.

He said, with the structural reforms and improved funding vocational education would be better positioned to spearhead government’s vision to accelerate the country’s drive towards rapid industrialisation through the implementation of the government’s one District, One Factory Programme; planting for food and Jobs Programme and value addition to our raw materials.

“Ghana needs to develop a strong and effective TVET system to produce the skilled workforce needed to improve productivity and global competiti5veness of the country,” he added.

He urged the government to assist private-owned training institutions to acquire some of the expensive tools and equipment by way of low interest or interest free loans.

Alternatively, he asked the government to supply them with some of the tools and equipment on flexible payment terms.

According to him, in the emerging markets, TVET competes for limited resources and consequently the capacity for TVET to take on expanded role in preparing the workforce becomes challenging.

He said deeper collaboration with employers could provide assistance in the form of equipment use, mentoring the training, financial resources.

He said, vocational education had both economic and social benefits and praised the government for the paradigm shift to redeem the misconception that vocational education was inferior and only patronised by academically weak students.

In her opening address, Mrs Beatrice Anamuah- Mensah, Principal of GHIST described the 10 years of GHIST as a memorable one adding that “ we have had our ups and down.”

She said, GHIST had transformed the lives of students who have attended the school ensures the total and holistic transformation of all those who come to the school.