Gov’t to transform vocational institutions

The Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Hon. Stephen Amoanor Kwao, has hinted that a major transformation exercise is in the offing to improve and develop technical and vocational institutions to meet the needs of basic and second cycle institutions in the country.

He said President Atta Mills and his NDC government have plans to expand and modernize technical and vocational skills in order to provide maximum employable skills and income generating capacities.

The Minister made this known when he addressed journalists in Accra as he took his turn at the weekly Meet –the-Press at the conference hall of the Ministry of Information on Tuesday.

According to the Minister, his ministry will work hand-in-hand with the National Vocational and Technical Vocational Institute (NVTI), which offers demand-driven employment skills training in school-based apprenticeship, clerical/secretarial training, instructor training, master-craft and has 37 centres across the nation

Hon. Amoanor Kwao further indicated that his outfit will work with the various Integrated Community Centres for Employable Skills (ICCES) that have been established to implement government’s policy on poverty alleviation. He said this will be done through the provision of rural vocational skills and employment generations to boost the vocational and technical sector.

“The Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare would also be working with Opportunities Industrialization Centres (OIC-Ghana) and the rehabilitation centres of the Department of Social Welfare to ensure that this target is achieved,” said Hon. Amoanor Kwao.

By Nana Ama Prebah & Beatrice Dede Asiedu