The Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) has been adjudged the overall best agency under the Ministry of Education for the 2024 performance year and presented with a citation.

The award follows outstanding achievement as the best-performing Agency in the implementation of the roadmap in line with the 2024 performance agreement.

This is the 3rd Time, CTVET has been adjudged the overall best Agency under the Ministry of Education.

The Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Adu Twum, who presented the award over the weekend to the CTVET management commended the award winners for their dedication and hard work leading to the feat.

He urged agencies that did not win to put in more effort towards the attainment of laurels in subsequent evaluation exercises.

Dr Adutwum urged the staff, management and board members of the various agencies to be innovative in all their activities to come out with new ideas to improve their performances.

The Director-General of CTVET, Dr Fred Kyei-Asamoah in his remarks thanked the Minister for the award and pledged the readiness of the Commission to do more.

He said the Commission had put in place measures to ensure that there was a deep relationship between the TVET institutes and industry so that students could be allowed to embark on scheduled industrial attachment to enhance their training.

Dr Kyei said over 60,000 new students have been enrolled in the 2023/2024 academic year in various government Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions offering free education.

According to him, this figure marks a substantial increase compared to the less than 20,000 students enrolled annually before 2017, adding that the total number of enrolments in Government TVET institutions now stands at well over 157,681, signalling significant progress in the sector.

He emphasized the crucial role of the TVET sector in addressing the evolving needs brought about by globalization, technological advancements, and economic development and credited the current government's investment in the TVET sector over the last seven years as a key driver of this growth.

He further highlighted ongoing projects, including the upgrading and modernization of 34 National Vocational and Technical Institutes (NVTIs) and 10 Regional Offices, among others.

These projects, supported with approximately 123 million euros, are set to be completed by July 2022. Additionally, two new foundries and machining centres are in progress, one at CSIR in Accra and the other at KNUST in Kumasi.

Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah further added that the Commission is set to distribute over 1.2 million TVET textbooks covering 24 programs to institutions nationwide, adding that this effort aims to bolster teaching and learning quality in the TVET sector.

Dr. Asamoah disclosed the development of 108 new TVET curricula, with an additional 115 curricula in progress. This initiative, guided by sector skills bodies and industry experts, aims to address skills gaps and ensure relevance to evolving market demands.

He emphasised the value of dual training, in which students attend lectures in addition to work experience.

“TVET is not just seen in Ghana; it is viewed globally as well. In Germany, the proportion of students pursuing TVET was almost 70% when we first took office. Around 65, the Germans are searching for a new strategy, advanced dual TVET. If you wish to attend university, that is acceptable, but you must complete dual training, which entails working for three days and attending lectures for two days. This is because, like it or not, the TVET approach is what will ultimately occur.

However, Dr. Asamoah reiterated the government's dedication to investing in TVET education as a catalyst for societal transformation. By shaping lives and preparing students for lucrative employment opportunities, TVET education remains a cornerstone of Ghana's educational landscape.