Constance Elizabeth Swaniker, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Design and Technology Institute (DTI), has urged institutions to devote more resources to skill development in order to better prepare their students for the workforce.
She claimed that the new currency on the job market was skills rather than just credentials, and that higher education institutions needed to make the necessary adjustments.
Ms. Swaniker made the suggestion at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a privately accredited Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution, and the DTI to implement additional Precision Quality programs to assist in educating and preparing young people with precision fabrication skills.
With the help of the Precision Quality program, master craftsmen and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) will be able to learn more effectively and achieve industry standards by enhancing their job abilities.
The MoU was a component of DTI's plan to collaborate with stakeholders in order to "change youth TVET livelihood for sustainable jobs."
According to Ms. Swaniker, the program is being carried out in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation's "Young Africa Works" plan, which aims to provide 30 million young people, particularly women, with access to chances for meaningful employment by 2030.
Many graduates, in Ms. Swaniker's opinion, lack the necessary abilities, which prevents them from finding employment after graduating from college.
This (the Precision Quality program) will consciously instruct students and craftsmen on how to concentrate on precision, use the proper tools, and ensure that everything produced complies with international standards, adding that this was all that was required by business.
Ms. Swaniker refuted the widely held belief that there is a lack of employment opportunities in the nation, arguing that many people lack the skills needed by business.
She explained that the program's theme, "My Hands, My Future," aimed to inspire young people to use their hands in a variety of ways to create responsible lives for themselves.
On behalf of the university administration, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo, welcomed the collaboration and stated that the university was dedicated to providing the necessary support to guarantee the program's successful implementation.
He claimed that because the curriculum was focused on accuracy, it would aid in the efficient training of the students to establish the proper priorities for TVET education.