Stakeholders
calls for strong link between theory and practice
Accra, May 18, Ghanadot/GNA
– Stakeholders at a day’s forum on development of
appropriate skills for the country’s educational
institutions have called for a strong link between theory
and practical training in order to well-prepare students to
meet the needs of the job market.
They called for rationalization of curricula with emphasis
on job attachment and acquisition of Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) skills to enable students to
become competitive and lead the country’s development
agenda.
The symposium was organized by the Ghana Employers'
Association (GEA), to assess the skills gap in the labour
market and recommend measures to bridge that gap by training
of students in skills that were relevant to the labour
market needs and training institutions.
Currently, programmes offered in Ghanaian training
institutions were skewed towards the humanities as a result
of which even the polytechnics, which were more technical
inclined, were currently admitting more people for business
related courses instead of science and technical subjects.
The stakeholders said measures, including review of
curriculum and content rationalization of programmes that
did not meet the demands of employers, relevance of
programmes, the dexterity of graduates, relevant skills and
competencies and exposure to global and international
competition were necessary to ensure that graduates were
well positioned to take advantage of the job market.
Dr Festus Addo-Yobo, Rector, Accra Polytechnic, called for
the promotion of business model for training institutions to
address issues such as teachers having renewable contracts
that were subject to periodic evaluations, give close
monitoring to graduates, create strong links with
enterprises through governance; delivery of training
services, in-service training and financial sustainability.
He said that the nation needed an efficient labour to match
the demand and supply of labour for socio-economic growth.
Dr. Addo-Yobo said this resulted in the introduction of the
competence based teaching approach in the polytechnics where
students progress after they demonstrate their understanding
of what they have been taught.
He said it was necessary that Ghanaian graduates were taught
to think clearly, write with precision and to speak
eloquently because communication was important in the job
market.
Professor Dr. Dr. Daniel Buor, Provost, College of Arts and
Social Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology (KNUST), said low budgetary allocations for
scientific research in training institutions weakened the
capabilities of students making them a burden after
university education.
He urged government to address the problem of lack of
funding, facilities and space as the student lecturer ratio
kept increasing putting stress on the few facilities
available.
Prof. Dr. Dr. Buor advised that ICT should be made the
center of education because countries with successful
markets employed ICT which undoubtedly contributed to their
growth.
He complained about the low enrollment in the sciences
especially of females and said if there were less females
enrolled in the sciences there would be less female
professionals which would be a draw-back to the country’s
development.
Mr. Alexander Frimpong, Acting Executive Director of GEA,
employers had been challenged with funding for training of
employees against the back-drop of the global economic
crises and that Ghana shall experience a significant boost
if the quality of education and training in institutions are
improved.
GNA
