As part of Government’s upgrading and modernisation of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Ghana, multiple infrastructure is being constructed at Biriwa Vocational Training Institute (BVTRI) in the Mfantseman Municipality of the Central Region.
The facilities; which are nearing completion, comprise of a two storey administration block, two-storey male hostel to accommodate 150 students, two- storey 100 capacity male hostel and a two- storey female hostel for 150 students.
The rest are; two-storey four-unit workshop and classrooms for catering and dressmaking, computer hardware and refrigerator and air-conditioning, and a three-unit workshop block for motor mechanic, building and construction, as well as the oil/ gas departments.
The Construction of the projects, a collaborative venture between the Government of Ghana and PlanetOne from Dubai, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The Consortium of P.C. Education Africa Ventures and SUMEC Complete Equipment & Engineering Company Limited are the Contractors for the overall upgrading and modernisation of the vocational education system in Ghana.
This came to light when the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education visited to inspect the progress of work at the Institute.
They were accompanied by officials from the Ministry, and the Acting Director General of Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah.
The facilities, which were at various stages of completion would increase student enrolment at BVTRI from 1,454 to more than 3,000.
Though satisfied with the work done so far, the Committee, expressed worry over the siting of the new facilities considering the typography of the area and tasked the contractors to work on the landscape and the drainage system to avert any possible flooding in future.
The Committee also noted that some of the facilities were not disability friendly and instructed that corrections were made before their commissioning.
The Committee Chairman, Mr. Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah, noted that the six-arce land provided for the school was not enough for future expansion.
“Every school is built into the future so if the school does not have enough lands for expansion, it becomes limited”, he said and pleaded with the chiefs to provide more land for the government to undertake projects in the community.
Mr Asiamah, said the upgrading and modernisation of VTR institutions showed the government’s determination to make Ghana a World class centre for skills development and the leading Country in TVET delivery in Africa and beyond.
“The government is determined to empower the youth and create jobs through TVET. This will have meaning on the country’s industrialization drive”, he said while indicating that it would also help the youth to create wealth for themselves.
This, he believed would go a long way to reduce the Country’s importation to save the economy.
The Institute Manager, Mr Samuel Kwashie Amegbor, was hopeful that the projects when completed, would complement instructional works, and make the mode of service delivery attractive to the unemployed youth to take up vocational education and training.
He said the upgrading would uplift the image of the school and the Biriwa Township as a whole and encourage the youth in the area to take advantage to acquire employable skills.
He expressed gratitude to the government for its commitment to TVET in the country.
