Free TVET education increases enrollment by 100% at YAMTECH
The government’s free Vocational and Technical Education Training (TVET), has caused more than 100 per cent enrollment increase at the Yamfo Technical and Vocational Institute (YAMTECH) in the Tano North Municipality.
Mr Philip Effah-Atakora, the Principal of the Institute said the enrollment had jumped from 86 students in the last academic year to 453 students this academic year.
He therefore lauded the government’s Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy, saying the programme had provided enormous opportunities for students to continue their education.
Mr Effah-Atakora said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) when Dr. Freda Prempeh, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North and a Minister of State in-charge of Works and Housing donated 20 brand new sewing machines valued at GH¢12,000.00 to the Institute at Yamfo in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region.
The MP also inspected the progress of work on a boys’ dormitory she was constructing for the Institute, which was about 80 per cent complete.
Mr Effah-Atakora said with the support from the MP, the Institute had been face-lifted, benefiting from some infrastructural developments, including standard girls’ dormitory, 33-seater school bus and a mechanized borehole.
He said the Institute’s obsolete machines, tools and equipment had also been replaced with modern ones, thereby facilitating effective practical studies and commended the MP for providing the Institute with two deep freezer refrigerators.
That notwithstanding, Mr Effah-Atakora appealed for a standard ICT facility to whip up the interest of students and enhance the study of the subject at the Institute as well as a dining hall for the 576 student population.
He said the Institute had expanded its scope of teaching and learning, and was currently undertaking free courses in electrical engineering technology, building and construction technology, wood technology, hospitality and catering management and fashion designing.
Dr. Prempeh stated the government had prioritized TVET to push the nation’s industrialization drive, hence, the need to equip the institute and many others spread across the country to not only be attractive, but well-positioned to offer hands-on training.
She said it was untrue that TVET education was reserved for the academically poor persons, and therefore advised parents to inspire their children to pick up careers in TVET, which could easily fetch those jobs.
Dr. Prempeh later inspected progress of work on the construction of a two-storey classroom block she lobbied for the Yamfo Anglican Senior High School, which was about 80 per cent complete.
Source: GNA