MOVES TO INCREASE FEMALE ENROLEMENT IN TECH/VOC SCHOOLS
Available
statistics indicate that female enrollment in Technical and Vocational
Education and Training institutions in the country is very low.
About twenty
nine percent of female students are in National and Vocational Training
Institution centres, seventeen in Teacher Training institutions and thirty
percent in Polytechnics across the country.
To change the trend and encourage
more female participation especially students in technical and vocational
careers, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training,
COTVET has rolled out the Role Model programme as part of the Development of
Skills for Industry Project.
Through the programme, over two thousand students
in TVET institutions across the country are expected to benefit from the experiences
and success stories of established individuals in the TVET industry.
These
selected individuals will act as role models by participating in panel
discussions and other outreach programmes including some sixteen workshops with
the beneficiaries.
Speaking at the North Advocacy workshop on the programme at
Fumesua near Kumasi, the Executive Director of COTVET, Sebastian Deh emphasized
the critical role that technical and vocational education plays in national
socio-economic development.
He explained that the programme has been designed
to replace current TVET curricula but to complement it by shaping the academic
and career paths of the interested youth.
He however expressed worry at the gender
imbalance in technical and vocational education and training, adding that the
programme will help to address the situation and ultimately reinforce the
importance of TVET to industrial growth.
A consultant to the COTVET, Stephen
Turkson in a presentation stressed the need for policy reforms in technical and
vocational education as well as increased support by government in terms of
modern logistics for TVET institutions.
Participants at the workshop included
selected students from technical second cycle institutions, academicians and
some industry players.
It was on the theme; “Re-defining Technical and
Vocational Education and Training for Employment Creation”.
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