Dr. Jahou Samba Faal, Secretary General, Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa (ATUPA) has urged African Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to collaborate with industry and employers when developing curricula.
She stated that this would enable the schools to develop courses suited to the requirements of industry and businesses, allowing students to find work after school.
“We need to enhance our engagement with industry and employers, by doing this we will be able to give out what is demanded by industry, and as a result provide employment,” she reiterated.
Dr Faal made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of 2023 ATUPA International Conference in Accra on Thursday.
The weeklong event organised by the ATUPA, and its partners was held on the theme “Mainstreaming TVET for Skills Development, Mobility and Resilient Economies in Africa.”
The Conference brought together TVET stakeholders to strategise on ways to advance TVET education in Africa to support youth empowerment, job creation, and socioeconomic development.
Dr Faal argued that when programmes were developed, industry and employers were often not consulted, resulting in institutions training students in skills that were not required.
She pushed for TVET students’ innovations and projects to be aligned with market and community-specific needs.
“These innovations and projects have to be relevant to the immediate market needs. It should not just be about building or creating anything, but developing something relevant to the needs of the market.
“This calls for the mainstreaming and institutionalising of TVET to the current ideas and future skills. So that whatever is being churned out will be relevant, handy and manageable,” she added.
The Association of Technical Universities and Polytechnics in Africa was established in 1978 with a mandate to promote TVET for job creation and economic development in the member countries.
ATUPA has a membership of 225 post-secondary education institutions, comprising technical universities, polytechnics, technical colleges and vocational training institutes.
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