3 men invent ‘The Bot Arm’ for heavy industrial works

WhatsApp Image 2021-01-28 at 5.50.05 PM

Two years ago, the outcome of the Ghana National skills competition organized by the Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) saw three brilliant young men from Accra Technical University in Ghana emerge winners.

This set the pace for the journey to the creation of the Bot arm which will be a miniature version of what one will find in an industrial space.

It is a robotics training kit which will aid in accelerating the learning and building of robotics systems.

Source: MyJoyOnline

Government merges COTVET and NABPTEX

Following the passage of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act which was given Presidential Assent on 21st August 2020, The Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) and the National Board for Professional and Technicians Examinations (NABPTEX) have been officially merged.

The governing board of the Commission was inaugurated by the Hon. Minister for Education Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh on Wednesday, 6th January, 2021. The Board is chaired by Mr. Francis Awua-Kyerematen Jr. with Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah as the Director-General of the Commission.

The Honourable Minister for Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh during the inauguration of the board, indicated that government over the past four years has made significant investments in TVET because it is key to the President’s vision of industrializing Ghana.

 

He adds that the Commission was set up to ensure that duplicity in the TVET sector is curtailed among other things and also to ensure the progress being made in the sector is sustained.

 

The Board Chairman of the Commission in his acceptance speech also indicated that the members of the board were aware of the importance of TVET to the socio-economic development of Ghana and hence will strive to ensure that TVET in Ghana gets to the level where it is supposed to be.

EDUCATION CRITICAL IN ACHIEVING GHANA BEYOND AID

The Senior Minister, Mr. Yaw Osafo Maafo yesterday said that education plays an integral role in governments much touted Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.

Addressing student’s engagement forum on the vision of Ghana   Beyond Aid at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.

The Senior Minister noted that education was a very important tool in achieving socio-economic mobility and building a country that was capable of providing its needs.

 ‘’No country has ever developed on the back of ignorant citizens. Education is the foundation of nation building, advancement of civilization and the surest way to ensure upward socio-economic mobility to create shared prosperity and inclusive society. As you listen to various resources and investments, it is obvious that this government has prioritised the need to develop the human resource base of the development of this country and there is no turning back. No cost is too high to develop the younger generation to become a globally competitive workforce,’’ he added.  

He said government would continue to develop plans and policies which reflect he aspirants of the youth and students so as to acquire skills and secure a future that was full of hope and prosperity.

The forum which was organized under the theme ‘’Education at the heart of attaining Ghana Beyond Aid – taking stock of our progress, looking into the future’’ brought together key stakeholders within the education sector to deliberate on how the country can achieve self-sufficiency through education.

Ghana has resolved to pursue the vision of Ghana Beyond Aid by maximising our resources. Our most important resource for the national development is the human resource.

In an address, President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Mr Isaac Jay Hyde, commended the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda, saying it was in sync with the global call for sustainable development which calls for active participation of young people in sustainable development which calls for active participation of young people in sustainable development at all levels.

He charged students to take centre stage in the socio-economic development of the country and contribute their quota in building a country that was capable of fending for itself.

The Secretary of the Ghana Beyond Aid Committee, Dr Eric Yeboah presenting the overview of the agenda said the Ghana Beyond Aid was a proactive call on Ghanaians irrespective of party affiliation to bring all hands-on deck to build a robust Ghana that was capable of creating opportunities for young people.

Panellists at the forum highlighted the need for the country to use education as an opportunity for the deeper introspection on how to build a resilient Ghana to wean itself off foreign aid.

The panellists included the Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Executive Director of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education (COTVET) Dr Fred Asamoah, the Administrator of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND), Mr Richard Boadu, President of the Greater Accra Regional Students Representative Council (GARSRC), Miss Sandra Boateng.

 The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum who spoke on the topic ‘’Post COVID-19 and the future of education – Envisioning a new paradigm for the developing globally competitive youth’’ touched on a wide range of initiatives that government had implemented in the education sector to realise the Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda. According to him, education was a very important tool that could be used to equip and harness the potential of the youth in the country.

He said at the back of the full implantation of the Free Senior High School policy, government plans on making education even more accessible by removing barriers to accessing education at all levels noting that government is working to make sure students at the tertiary levels noting that government is working to make sure students at the tertiary level can access funds through the Students Loan Trust Fund by using their national identification cards.

 On his part, Dr Asamoah expressed optimism of a Ghana beyond Foreign aid because employees were beginning to tap into the skills set of students who graduate from technical and vocational institutions. He said that was because in the last four years, there had been a considerable amount of investment in technical and vocational institutions by government which had made them He described TVET education as critical in achieving the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda initiative.

At his turn, Mr Boadu described how his outfit had streamlined its operations to ensure value for money in the construction of educational facilities noting the value for money, leveraging on technology and expanding the educational infrastructure of the country to accommodate the growing population of students and teachers were key factors for such an agenda to Underscoring how the afore mentioned government interventions had translated into the lives of students, Miss Boateng said policies like the Free SHS was helpful to invest in students and commended government for putting education at the heart of national development because education was an important growth pole for national development.

COTVET organizes stakeholders meeting for three sectors to support TVET skills development

The Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) held a 3-day stakeholders meeting on the establishment of Sector Skills Bodies, at the Mensvic Hotel in Accra.

The participants were key industry players in the Garment & Apparel, Transport & Logistics and Healthcare Industry sectors.  The aim of the meeting was to solicit inputs from participants on constituting the Sector Skills Bodies for the three sectors, to ultimately promote a better understanding of the skills demanded in each of the identified sectors for the development of skills in the country.

Addressing participants, the Executive Director of COTVET, Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, expressed government’s commitment towards revamping skills as a way of increasing productivity and generating sustainable employment.

He said the sectors need to “build capacity for the people at least from the SHS level especially now that TVET education is free to make the industries attractive.’’ “We must advise the young ones to venture into skills training and if we are able to develop all the sectors, it will be a turnaround for our economy”, he added.

Dr. Asamoah encouraged the sectors to take the opportunity of the system especially now that government is putting much resources into TVET education and the Voucher Project. He called on all the participants to contribute meaningfully in identifying the major stakeholders to bring on board to form the sector skills body; to ensure intense and proper training to get more skilled personnel to boost the sector for the growth of the economy.

Mr. Theophilus Tetteh Zogblah and Mr. Samuel Thompson led the facilitation of the sessions with support from Ms. Edith Adotey. The first day focussed on the Garment & Apparel, followed by the Transport & Logistics and the last day, Healthcare Industry.

COTVET seeks to establish 22 Sector Skill Bodies, six (6) of which have already been constituted, namely Construction, Agriculture, Health & Tourism, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive and Renewable Energy; to ensure that the exact skills needed in the country are developed.

See More Photos of The Training Workshop Commissioned By President Akufo Addo

On Day Four of President Nana Akufo Addo Visit to the Ashanti region, he visited Kwadaso, Bekwai and Jacobu to make his presence felt by the people of those communities and also engaged them on the forthcoming presidential election in December.

The president on his last day in the Ashanti region commissioned various projects in the state and inspected ongoing project still under construction in the Ashanti region to boost economic activities and improve the infrastructure of mother Ghana

Amongst others, President Nana Akufo Addo inspected was ongoing work on the construction of the first Creative Arts Senior High School in mother Ghana.

President Nana Addo also Commissioned TVET Workshops for the Methodist Technical Institute, and commissioned the bees I I municipal Hospital, a project which started during the era of the late military Head of State, General I.K. Acheampong.

Below are pictures of the Workshop for the Methodist Technical Institute commissioned by President Nana Akufo Addo.

Source: Opera News

WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COTVET, DR. FRED KYEI ASAMOAH, AT THE TVET EXPO 2020 ON THURSDAY, 15TH OCTOBER 2020

H.E. The First Lady

Hon. Minister for Education

Hon. Deputy Minister of Education

Your Excellencies (Members of the Diplomatic Corps)

Hon. Deputy Ministers

Friends from the Media

Invited Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning.

I would like to first thank the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Her Excellency Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, for joining us this morning.  And also the Hon. Minister of Education, in fact he had to postpone National Education Week; due to the importance he attaches to TVET. I would also like to thank everyone seated here for your presence at today’s function.  

This, I believe, is an indication, we all recognise that technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is a sure way to empower citizens to contribute meaningfully to the sustainable development of our dear nation. 

We cannot express how thrilled we are to have you here as we observe the first ever TVET Expo under the theme, “Building a robust TVET system to transform Ghana”. The objective of this expo is to:

  • present the key reforms in the TVET sector and the major achievements;
  • launch TVET Ambassadors and Role Models;
  • launch the digitized registration and accreditation system of COTVET; and
  • launch the 2021 Skills Competition

TVET provides the youth with relevant skills to prepare them for the complexities of the world of work. It also boosts the employability of adult workers through skills upgrade and reskilling. Yet, the fact remains that there is a general bias for academic learning and qualifications, which has contributed to a yawning skills gap.

As the organisation that co-ordinates and oversees all aspects of technical and vocational education and training in the country, COTVET – working on behalf the Ministry of Education – is committed to taking significant steps to ensure that we have a TVET system that is able to support and cater to the diverse strengths and talents of Ghanaians.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we cannot have welders and fabricators in this country and still import same from the Philippines to work on our rigs. Neither can we have tilers and still prefer foreign nationals tiling our buildings. Simply because there’s skills shortage or our skilled workers lack proper certification or they’re not up to industry standards.

THIS WE ARE CHANGING!

We’re building strong partnerships between our institutions and industry.                                                We are redesigning curricula and assessment, to align better with the needs of industry and business, and also sanitizing the certification system.                                                                                          We’re improving access and equity so that the vulnerable and disadvantaged can have a fair shot at success. We’re making TVET attractive and changing perceptions, particularly amongst parents and students, of the value of TVET and apprenticeships; to give the youth the chance to shape their own future and go on to fulfilling professions.

I would like to specially acknowledge the Minister for Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, for His Leadership, Deputy Minister for Education in charge of TVET, Hon. Gifty Twum Ampofo, The Chair and Members of COTVET Board, Management and Staff of COTVET for their hard work.

In short, Government through the Ministry of Education is transforming the TVET sector to equip the people of Ghana with relevant skills, needed to participate in today’s global economy.

The initiatives that will be launched today are a manifestation of this commitment.

Let me also say thank you to our partners, The German Government through KfW and GIZ and our sponsors Planet One, Omega, Unijay, McDan Shipping, and Sleek Garments.

Once again, thank you so much for honouring our invitation. I must add that, we have a beautiful venue and all the equipment needed for a successful event. At the end of today’s programme.

And we are all looking great…

ALL THANKS TO SKILLED WORKERS.

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to TVET EXPO 2020.

 Thank you.

Parliament approves tax waiver for Construction of TVET Centres of Excellence

Parliament has approved more than 10 Million Euros tax waiver on materials, equipment and services to be procured for the construction of five Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET Centres of Excellence.

Parliament’s approval follows a request by government for a tax waiver which covers Import Duties, Import and Domestic VAT, GET Fund Levy, NHIL, EXIM and Special Import Levy.

The project will involve the construction of prefabricated structures, provision of services including water and electricity in Anyinam, Pakyi-Number Two, Akomadan, Assin Jakai and Manso-Abore.

 

Source: GBCGhanaOnline

TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IS THE WAY TO DEVELOP GHANA – DR FRED KYEI ASAMOAH

The Executive Director of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, has said Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is the way to go when it comes to any country’s infrastructural development.

He said, TVET has always been very important when we consider countries that have developed across the world– the likes of America, Europe, Japan, China and others.

In an interview with Kwabena Ahwireng Martin of Oman Fm, the COTVET boss advised parents to encourage their wards who have the passion and the interest to choose TVET since it has several advantages in our current dispensation. It is for this reason that the NPP government has taken a keen interest in it, by making TVET free for every Ghanaian child.

He further explained, TVET is not for people who are academically weak, “but rather those who are divine gifted mentally, to create good things out of something no other person can even imagine.”

Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah made these remarks at a 1-day workshop organized by COTVET under the theme, “Institutional Greening Plans Validation Workshop” held in Accra on October 27,2020.     

The workshop was to sensitize stakeholders to integrate greening philosophies into TVET under five main approaches namely: greening the campus, greening the curriculum and training, greening the research, greening the community and workplace and greening the culture. The workshop also sought to equip teachers, instructors and heads of the various Technical and Vocational Institutions across the country; on the sustainable use of natural resources in line with the SDGs, to develop Ghana and the world  at large.

COTVET, Makeup Ghana outdoor curriculum, certification for makeup artistry

As part of efforts to standardize the training and certification of practitioners in the Colour Cosmetics Industry, the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) in collaboration with Makeup Ghana has developed two Competency-Based Training (CBT) training packages at levels three and four of National TVET Qualification Framework (NTVETQF) for the Makeup Artistry.

Currently, the makeup industry does not have any CBT programme dedicated solely to the training of its practitioners. This has forced makeup artists to either practice their art and craft-based on individual experience and standards or enroll in programmes which have a very minor focus on Makeup Artistry. The industry collectively clamoured for standardization in training and practice.,

In pursuit of this agenda, the regulatory agency for the TVET sector COTVET, gave technical assistance to Makeup Ghana with funding support from Skills Development Fund Phase two to develop accredited Makeup Artistry Programmes.

A curriculum development team consisting of experts from the beauty industry, Makeup Ghana, training providers and COTVET worked together under the National TVET Qualifications Framework (NTVETQF) and Ghana harmonized CBT approach.

Curriculum development which was completed this August, Level 3 (National Certificate 1) and Level 4 (National Certificate 2) in makeup artistry have since been registered on the National TVET qualifications framework and will be out doored collaboratively by Makeup Ghana and COTVET on November 13th, 2020 and will be available to all training institutions for the training and certification of practitioners nationwide.

Rebecca Donkor, CEO of Makeup Ghana believes these two Accredited Competency-Based Training Programs have a huge impact on the industry.

“It was time to bring sanity in the industry and Makeup Ghana decided to champion this to show leadership as the Industry Advocate for Beauty. Existing practitioners can regularize their accreditation to be compliant with the laws of Ghana. New Trainees can ensure the vocational programs they register for will lead to proper accreditation. Consumers can verify which Makeup Artists working on their faces are well-trained and accredited. Sanity can now prevail across the industry.”

Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah is delighted and proud of this major achievement during his tenure as the Executive Director of COTVET. “As part of our five-year TVET strategic plan, it is envisioned that by 2022, all TVET institutions will be using CBT curriculums for instruction and these two accredited training packages will be part of the many programmes we are developing to ensure quality in TVET training is achieved.”

 

Source: B&FT Online