Ghana government asked to build 50 technical, vocational schools as part of 200 schools

The Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana (IET) has called on government to show commitment towards technical and vocational training in the country by constructing 50 technical and vocational schools as part of its 200 new SHS program.

Addressing the end of year conference of the IET in Accra on the theme: “Competence Based Training: Its importance to the national economy”, President of the IET, Rev. Engr. E.O. Ankrah expressed the Institution’s discontent with the state of technical and vocational education in the country. He therefore tasked the government to take the lead in making the fields very relevant to the needs of the country.

On his part, the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Alhaji Collins Dauda, in a speech delivered on his behalf by Engr. John Tettey, expressed government’s concern over the increasing phenomenon of collapse of buildings in the country; a situation he attributed in part to the lack of professional conduct by some consultant engineers. According to him, the application of the Competency Based Training (CBT) in the curricular of Vocational, Technical and Engineering institutions of learning is “a major step to eliminate the shoddy works being done by the craftsmen and other charlatans in the building industry”.  He therefore called on the IET and other relevant institutions in the Built Environment Industry to work together with government to find a lasting solution to the menace.

He also noted that government is in the process of reviewing the Ghana Building Regulations of 1996 in order to make it relevant to the current trends in the construction industry.

The conference was also used to induct 60 engineers into the IET College of Fellows, and another 50 as new Corporate and Associate members.

Special citations were presented to Apostle K. Safo of Kantanka Group, and Dr. Obi Berko Damoah for their contributions to the growth of engineering in Ghana. A new website for the association was also unveiled.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology is a member of the Engineering Council of Ghana.

By Isaac Kofi Batini