The Koforidua Technical University (KTU) has held a ceremony to officially admit 3,476 fresh students with a call for a more aggressive push towards the promotion of science and technology.

Professor Rexford Assasie, Dean of the International Programmes Office, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), said this was vital to avoid being left behind by globalization.

Five hundred and seventy-eight (578) of the newly enrolled students would be pursuing degree programmes, while 2,639 did courses, leading to the award of higher national diploma (HND) and the remaining 259, non-tertiary programmes.

Females constitute 42 per cent of the fresh students with males making up for 52 per cent.

Prof Assasie, who is a member of the KTU Council, welcomed the drift towards technical, vocational education and training (TVET) and said that was path to travel to produce the requisite manpower to drive the nation’s industrialization.

He reminded the universities to make their programmes relevant to the needs of industry.

He added that their products should be equipped with practical skills that would make them employable.

Prof (Mrs.) Smile Dzisi, the Vice-Chancellor, announced that a total of 5,033 applications were received and out of the number 4,891 were admitted but 3,476 them reported.

She said the decision to increase student admission was to make tertiary education accessible to many people.

She indicated that 75 per cent of its study programmes was science and technology-based.

Prof (Mrs.) Dzisi asked the students to be focused and work hard to live their dreams.