The Director-General of the Commission for Technical, Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, has urged parents to encourage their children and wards to consider choosing TVET schools as they go through the school selection process.

He explained that selecting a TVET school would allow students to reap the benefits of the TVET sector, which holds the key to the nation's economic transformation.

According to the Director-General, the Commission has projected about 80,000 vacancies in TVET institutions in the country for the 2022 academic year and urged students to take advantage of the vacancies as against 64,641 vacancies declared in 2021.

Dr. Kyei Asamoah made the call on Friday when he briefed the media about the ongoing nationwide school selection and placement exercise in Accra.

The exercise is aimed at ensuring that all candidates select their preferred Senior High and or Technical and Vocational Institution they would like to attend next academic year if they pass the just-ended Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

The Director-General mentioned some of the measures put in place by the government to increase intake as the upgrade and retooling of all erstwhile NVTI’s institutions, building on new institutions and including the Head Office together with 10 regional offices.

He also noted the establishment of five apprenticeship offices across the country, the Opportunity Industrialization Center in Accra comprising of the construction, rehabilitation and equipping of laboratories, workshops, additional classrooms, hostels, and administrative offices supported with some 123 million euros which were completed in July 2022.

Dr. Asamoah said to help in the promotion of TVET in the country, the CTVET is currently undertaking skills competitions which aim at raising the profile and recognition of skilled people, adding that Ghana has organised two national skills competitions so far since 2018 and taken part in two World Skills Africa Competitions.

“Ghana recently won two gold medals and two silver medals at the World Skills Africa Competition in Swakopmund Namibia),” he said.

The D-G again mentioned the establishment of TVET Clubs in Junior High Schools to generate interest in TVET courses, TVET Ambassadors and Role Model Campaigns, TVET Career Guidance and Counselling programmes in communities and schools and Radio and TVET adverts and engagement and adverts.

State of the Art Centres

The D-G stated that Cabinet and Parliament in 2020 approved a concessional loan of €158,901,273.00 to finance the construction of phase one of the establishment of 32 State of the Art TVET Centres project which is currently under construction.

He indicated that the construction of five new District TVET centres of excellence is ongoing with that of Anyinam and Pakyi No. 2 completed while that of Assin Jakai in Central Region, Akomadan and Manso Abore in Ashanti Region are also under construction.

Dr. Asamoah said, in addition to the mainstream free TVET, the government has also provided free apprenticeship training to over 18,000 Ghanaians since 2017 through the Ghana TVET Voucher project being implemented by CTVET with support from the German Government.

The D-G mentioned the rehabilitation and upgrading of 10 Technical Universities and 13 Technical Institutes which includes the construction of new workshops/laboratories and the supply and installation of equipment fit for disciplines in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Welding technology, Automotive maintenance, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering have also been completed and inaugurated.

2022 School Selection guidelines

Introduction of a cluster of schools: These are similar schools that belong to the same category which candidates may comfortably accept as alternative schools to their initial choices.

A Candidate who opts for a cluster and is displaced may have the opportunity of being considered in any of the schools within the cluster.

For instance, if candidate Yaw selected Accra Technical Training Centre (ATTC) as his 2nd choice, the candidate will be considered for similar schools in the cluster of Accra Technical Training Centre (ATTC) for available space.

The mandate of the Commission

The Commission’s primary responsibility is to regulate, promote and administer technical and vocational education and training for transformation and innovation for sustainable development.