The course which basically involves understanding the dynamics and operation of drones to address the worlds emerging challenges is expected to commence by end of this month (May).

According to the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Edmund Ameko “a training centre for the programme is ready and we will begin enrolling students on it. We are collaborating with the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to train students and create opportunities for skills development through the technology.”

Prof. Ameko was speaking at the launch of the 70th anniversary celebrations of ATU on Tuesday on the theme; “70years of innovative education, a path towards excellence.”

The year-long celebration, to highlight the many phases the school had undergone till its present state, would be marked with activities including public lectures, exhibitions, clean up and health walks, sports festivals, award events among others.

Acknowledging that the “future of work won’t be about degrees any more but about job skills,” Prof Ameko noted that the university, moving forward, would focus on six strategic areas to prepare students for the world of work.

He mentioned interventions including entrepreneurship development, impactful research and technology transfer, building partnerships, improved infrastructure and sustainable funding as areas the school will pay attention to, to gain recognition “as a technical University of excellence.”

The Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Prof. Kwesi Yankah in launching the anniversary said government was keen on leveraging on technical and vocational education to improve the lives of the citizenry and bring about true development.

He was thus convinced that a five year roadmap on technical and vocational education and training (TVET), the realignment of technical and vocational institutions to the Ministry of Education among other initiatives would ensure the country produced highly skilled human resource for socio-economic growth.

Prof. Yankah in congratulating ATU for attaining “seven meaningful decades of imparting technical education” urged the University to continue on the trajectory of blaizing the trail in TVET to add on to gains made.

“The University has come a long way but there is still more room for improvement in providing relevant, high-quality development of the competencies and skills of our youth.

Have the assurance that the government will continue to invest to improve the quality of technical universities and TVET programmes and training as a whole,” he promised.

Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Prof. Ralph Kingston Asabere reminisced the humble beginnings of the University from “a bungalow with 15 students to now having 13,381 students on two campuses at Kinbu in the Central Business District and Mpehuasem in the Ga West Municipal Area.”

He commended the renewed emphasis being placed on TVET education in the country on recent times describing it as the way to go to build a Ghana beyond aid.

Source: ghanaiantimes

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Professor Kwesi Yankah, the Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, who launched the Anniversary, said it was worth commending the University for its innovative technical education for the past seven decades.

He said Government expected the University leadership to continue on the progressive trajectory and become stronger as a strategic institution for the training of highly-skilled human resources.

Government acknowledged the enormous potential of technical and vocational education towards developing the human capital for national development, he said. Prof. Yankah said the Government had, hence, rolled out a roadmap for the implementation of a Five-Year Strategic Plan for the country’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), with the goal of transforming the labour force to create employment and enhance productivity. Prof Kwesi Yankah said in line with the national TVET agenda, Government had provided new facilities for 13 training institutions, which include the ATU under the Development of Skills for Industry Project (DSIP). Under the DSIP, the ATU had benefitted from a number of facilities at its new campus at Mpemhuasem, made up of building and construction workshop, electrical, electronic and automobile workshops, access roads, drainage, and sidewalks among many others. He said the University had come a long way but there was still more room for improvement in providing relevant, high-quality development of the competencies and skills of the country’s workforce, and assured it of government’s support. Prof. Edmund Ameko, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the ATU, said the University had provided 70 years of innovative education as a TVET institution and urged it to stay on course in the years to come. A range of activities had been earmarked to mark the Anniversary from April to December, 2019.

He said the University was focused on preparing the youth to face the challenges of globalisation, technology, population growth, climate change, and unemployment, adding: “We must prepare the youth to be competitive in the dynamic technological environment of today’s world of work.”

Prof Ameko said in the years to come, the University would focus more on excellence in skills and entrepreneurship development; impactful applied research and technology transfer; and strategic partnership.

He said the University would also be focusing on operational excellence and customer satisfaction; high quality facilities and unique campus experience; and sustainable funding.

Prof Ralph Kingston Asabere, the Chairman of ATU’s Governing Council, said the University, which started in July 1949, with 15 students, could now boast of more than 13,000 students.

He said it had gone through phases of change after being established as a Technical School in 1949, commissioned as Technical Institute in 1957, renamed a Polytechnic in 1963, elevated to a tertiary institution in 1992 and finally converted to a University in 2016.

Prof Asabere said it was time for the country to adopt a paradigm shift towards investing immensely into TVET adding that it was fulfilling to note the country’s focus on the sector.

He said the University was glad that Cabinet had approved the amendment of legislations concerning the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, National Training Institute and the National Board for Professional and Technical Examinations.

This, he said, would allow for the realignment of all technical and vocational institutions with the Ministry of Education.

Source: GNA

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