President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier has cut sod for the construction of a groundbreaking Centre of Excellence for Green Technologies in the Ashanti region.

The facility located at the Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI) is an initiative by the government of Ghana with funding support (5 Mio. EUR) from the Federal Republic of Germany within the Ghanaian German Financial Cooperation implemented through KfW Development Bank.

The project is being executed by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) supported by PLANCO/CES consortium as the implementation consultants.

The facility comprises the construction of a model high-standard training facility equipped with the relevant equipment to facilitate training in green technologies related to the following trades:

• Mechanics and Plumbing/Piping
• Refrigeration and Air-conditioning & green technology
• Domestic electrical installation
• Electrics/Electronics
• Industrial garment

The facility will have seven workshops focusing on the thematic areas for enhanced renewable energy integration.

Director for CTVET, Dr. Zakaria Sulemana, indicated that the facility would inure to the benefits of technical students in the region and across the country.

“We have students from KTI who will be benefitting. But there are other technical institutions in the region who will have access to this facility for training in Green Technologies,” he said.

Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu is upbeat about the economic potential of the facility in contributing to national growth.

“This is contributing to improving livelihoods and contributing significantly to addressing unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, in the country,” the minister noted.

The facility will improve the access of the Ghanaian youth and professionals to demand oriented and high-quality TVET programs in fields that are relevant to a green economy in response to Ghana's National Green Jobs Strategy Implementation Plan as well as the Renewable Energy Master Plan.