The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) in collaboration with the National Network of Youth Groups have urged the government to adopt a Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) financing policy in Ghana.
They have requested that the policy should ensure sustainable financing of Ghana’s TVET reformation agenda.
The Group made the call during a forum on National Forum on TVET Financing organized by FOSDA on the theme “Promoting Sustainable TVET Financing in Ghana for Youth Employment and National Development” with support from OXFAM in Ghana.
Key stakeholders at the event were representatives from GIZ, Plan Ghana, Technical and Vocational Schools’ Students and Teachers, Tax Experts, CITIFM and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the TVET space.
According to them, the policy will address issues of corporate financing, administration among other issues bothering on TVET.
The Communication Service Tax (CST); Petroleum Revenues and leakages as revealed in the Auditor General’s Report also came up as major sources of consideration for the financing of TVET.
The deliberation also acknowledged a direct relation between TVET, entrepreneurship and youth employment with a call on the government to pay strong attention to TVET in addressing the acute youth unemployment situation in Ghana.
They concluded that in addition to all the government is currently doing, it is crucial to establish a TVET Financing policy to propel TVET financing from the Micro to the Macro level that will eventually transform the sector.
The Deputy Minister of Education responsible for TVET, Gifty Twum Ampofo, speaking at the event, announced that the Government of Ghana has invested 1 billion dollars in the TVET sector in Ghana since 2017.
She added that TVET in Ghana has also had support from development partners such as GIZ, China, DANIDA, EU, KFW among others.
The Deputy Minister mentioned some of the projects that have been undertaken since 2017 which include refurbishment of the 34 NVTI schools, ongoing construction of 32 state of the art technical schools.
Others are the upgrading of 17 Technical and Vocational Institutes, construction of 3 foundries and machinery centers among others.
The Director General of the Commission for TVET, Dr. Fred Asamoah also revealed that the government has made an initial deposit of USD 60 Million into the new Skills Development Fund (SDF).
He also reiterated the need for industries to support the TVET sector adding that “the government cannot do it alone since industries are critical to the reformation of the TVET sector.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Isaac Dzidzoamenu
