Government to Roll Out New Vocational and Technical Training Programmes

By Aliyah Bayali

Government, through the National Youth Authority (NYA) and the Council for Technical and Vocational Education Training (COTVET), is to roll out five educational training models by September 2019.

The models -- metal fabrication, aluminum fabrication, mobile phone repairers, cosmetology and bakery --would positively influence perceptions about Technical and vocational education.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Authority, Mr. Emmanuel Sin-nyet Asigri announced this on Monday at the opening of the 11th African Youth and Governance Convergence (AYGC) in Cape Coast in the Central Region.

The project, which seeks to enroll 10,000 youth across the country, aim at encouraging the youth to set up their businesses.

The global theme for the 2019 International Youth Day is Transforming Education but Ghana has chosen The Role of The Youth in Contributing to Public Education as the country's theme to address issues affecting the educational sector.

Mr. Asigri commended the Youth Bridge Foundation Ghana for partnering with the NYA to spearhead youth development in governance and leadership in the country.

According to him, the government was committed to creating policies and opportunities such as the Free SHS to give every child the right to education.

He commended the efforts of the AYGC and Youth Bridge Foundation in youth development in the country and Africa.

For his part, the Omanhene of Cape Coast, who is also the President of the Oguaa Traditional Council, Osaberima Kwesi Atta II, said the youth had the power and by peaceful means could join their knowledge and skills to effect change in all sectors of development through active participation in politics, agriculture and industry.

The Omanhene stated that it was time Africans saw themselves as Africans by accepting and patronising what the continent produced.

For Africa to develop, he underscored the need for the new generation to change their attitude and understand that language influenced the development process, therefore, the need for them to know their true identity rather than corrupting their identities by accepting everything from the west.

The Head of the Youth Bridge Research Institute, Prof. Ranford Van Gyampo, encouraged the youth to produce insightful ideas on how better and faster Africa could grow beyond aid.

He stressed that the convergence would mentor and build the capacity of the youth and make them active agents of socio-economic change, noting that it would also position the youth as viable participants in governance, leadership and decision making at both community and national levels.

This year's celebration seeks to discuss and device more innovative ways of mentoring and encouraging the youth to take up leadership roles in affairs of the African continent through active participation in politics and leadership.

About 94 youth from Zambia, Cote D'Ivoire, Sudan, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Niger, Tanzania, Nigeria, Guinea, Zimbabwe, Gabon, Malawi, DR Congo, Cameroon, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone are participating in the programme.

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