President John Dramani Mahama has called on technical universities in Ghana to align their programmes with the government’s policy of promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.
Speaking at the 4th Biennial Applied Research Conference of Technical Universities held in Takoradi on Tuesday, the President announced that government will allocate GH¢10 million each to the country’s ten public technical universities in the 2027 national budget.
According to him, the funds will be used to expand infrastructure and invest in modern equipment and laboratories to help the institutions achieve the objectives envisioned when polytechnics were converted into technical universities about a decade ago.
President Mahama stressed that technical universities must position themselves as key drivers of Ghana’s knowledge-based economy by focusing on practical skills development, industry collaboration and reducing youth unemployment.
“You must focus on hands-on, competence-based technical and vocational training aligned with the German model,” he stated.
The President also announced plans to establish two additional technical universities in Jasikan and Techiman respectively.
In addition, he disclosed that government intends to establish a new University of Science and Technology in the Savannah Region to improve access to higher education, particularly for students in northern Ghana.
President Mahama further revealed that government will establish a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Fund to support science-based education across the country.
“The new universities will be the bridge between the world of science and industry. They will forge a symbiotic relationship with industry by utilising industrial resources for innovation and technological advancement,” he said.
He noted that technical universities remain central to addressing youth unemployment by producing graduates with practical and industry-relevant skills capable of driving entrepreneurship and innovation.
According to the President, government’s broader vision is to shift the country from producing job seekers to producing job creators.
President Mahama also highlighted previous investments made in engineering education, including the provision of modern laboratories and equipment at the Takoradi and Kumasi campuses.
He explained that the two institutions each received six laboratories at a cost of $5 million to support training in areas such as electronics, advanced manufacturing, solar technology and wind energy.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
