The 13th Congregation ceremony of Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) has been held amongst pomp and pageantry. The ceremony had in attendance Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (Education Minister), Oheneba Owusu Afriyie IV the Apagyahene representing Otumfuo Osei Tutu, Prof. Ben Baffoe-Bonnie (KsTU Council Chairman), Prof. Asiamah Yeboah (the Interim Vice Chancellor) and other prominent traditional rulers among others.
Dr. Opoku Prempeh in his speech stated that the government is determined to ensure a paradigm shift in skills training and manpower development by increasing the support for technical education in this country and treating it as a vital component of our education and skills training agenda.
He reiterated government’s commitment towards restructuring TVET education by dedicating a whole division of the education service to technical and vocational education as well as a minister solely in charge of that division.
In all, three thousand and fifty-six (3056) students graduated with various degrees in Bachelor of Technology, Higher National Diploma and other Diploma programmes. Master Augustine Adu-Aboagye a Bachelor of Technology graduand from the Department of Procurement Management was crowned the overall best student.
Giving his annual report, Prof. Asiamah Yeboah enumerated some of the achievements by the University in the year under review including putting up a four-storey building at Adarko-Jachie for lectures as well as office accommodation. The Institution also succeeded in establishing linkages with some academic institutions outside the country. The linkages include collaboration with University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and also with the Canadian government for training of students with practical business skills.
He used the opportunity to appeal to the government to review the working conditions of the staff of Technical Universities as a way of dealing with the phenomenon of exodus of lecturers from the Technical Universities to the traditional ones whose conditions of service are better irrespective of equality in qualification. He said the government should make a quick intervention as the Technical University teachers are moving with amazing rapidity, a situation that can defeat the purpose for which the polytechnics were converted to Technical Universities. He also advised graduands to always remember both human and financial resources that have been committed into their training and should ensure that they do not go waste.
Picture: Professor Asiamah Yeboah awarding one of the graduands with a prize. Looking on (from left on the front row) are Prof. Baffoe-Bonnie, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (middle) and Oheneba Owusu Afriyie IV.
