Vocational, technical students told to prioritise English

• Posted on May 11, 2016
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Ashanti Regional Manager of the Catholic Education Unit, Rev Fr. John Amankwah, has challenged students pursuing courses

in technical and vocational education schools to take keen interest in the learning of English Language to support the knowledge they acquire at school.

He explained that acquiring good English Language skills would not only help them continue their education to the highest level, but would also help them connect well with institutions and communicate with clients.

Rev Fr. John Amankwah gave the advice at the maiden launch of the speech and prize-giving day of the Catholic Technical Institute in Kumasi.

The launch brought together various stakeholders in the education sector in the region.

The speech and prize-giving day, scheduled to take place on July 9, 2016, will be heralded by events like blood donation, symposium on ‘Entrepreneurship and value creation’, indoor games, football gala, clean-up exercise, and homecoming of old students.

The institute was established 32 years ago by the Most Rev Peter Kwasi Sarpong, Emeritus Archbishop of Kumasi, with the aim of absorbing a section of the youth who were roaming the streets of Kumasi and the rest of the country.

It initially started operating from an old chapel of the Basilica, and in 1997 moved to its current location at Buokrom, a suburb of Kumasi.

Rev Fr. Amankwah was particularly not happy about the state of the nation’s industrial sector, which instead of absorbing many people was rather shedding off labour due to lack of either raw materials or other factors which had made  operations impossible.

He was of the conviction that a well-structured vocational and technical education development holds the key to the current unemployment situation in the country since students from this sector of education would not have to go and look for non-existing jobs but would rather end up creating their own jobs and employing others as well.

The Regional Manager was optimistic that vocational and technical education held the magic wand to turn the nation’s economy around within the shortest possible time if given the appropriate support and management.

The Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mrs Mary Owusu Achiaw, in an address read for her by Madam Dora Ayorkor Arday, said it was time vocational and technical education were given the needed attention to save the nation from continuing to produce graduates who would only come and join the large numbers of unemployment youth.

The Principal of the Catholic Technical Institute, Rev Fr. Joseph Asante, said the school is poised to be among the best technical institutes in the country.

He appealed for support towards the provision of equipment in all technical and vocational institutes in the country to enable them use them in the training of their students.

The principal commended the chief of Buokrom, Nana Owusu Bempah, for providing the large acreage of land to the school for its operations.

The Headmistress of St. Louis Senior High School, Mrs Theresa Addae Commey, who represented the Association of Catholic Heads of Higher Institutions (ACHHI), said it was prudent for society to encourage girls to take technical and vocational education serious.

The headmistress urged people to desist from looking down on technical and vocational education, and urged graduates from such institutions not to feel belittled but aspire for better life after their education.

From Adwoa Okyere DARKO, Kumasi