The activities of vocational and technical institutions are severely constrained by poor funding resulting in the use of inappropriate tools and equipment, scanty training materials, poor infrastructure and other physical facilities. Thus, the quality of training being offered is compromised and many are those who pass out of training with inadequate skills. This situation reduces graduates' chances of employment in the labour market and hence their contribution to wealth creation.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, there is no doubt that we really need to explore other sustainable sources of funding vocational and technical education. I will like to examine three sources namely, levy/tax on employers, levy/tax on graduates and income generating activities. Even though industries are the end users of products of vocational and technical institutions, there is no legislation obliging them to fund training programmes. A training levy system, based on turnover or on the payroll, should therefore be established to raise funds from employers. The Government could offer deductions in these contributions as incentive in relation to training carried out by employers. Through legislation, graduates who are employed could also be made to contribute towards the funding of training. Let me caution here that funds realized from both employers and graduates must not be paid into the Consolidated Fund so that they could be used solely to finance vocational and technical education. Apart from the proposed levies, training institutions could establish Production Units to produce and sell their products or their services. Thus, the institutions themselves become active and direct participants of wealth creation. In addition to helping to raise funds for the training institutions, the establishment of Production Units is also part of efforts to direct training towards self-employment. The trainees work in a simulated environment close to what pertains in industry. This inculcates in the trainees punctuality, confidence, quality awareness, the ability to cooperate and to work fast and efficiently. It is important that in developing and executing income-generating activities, the following guidelines be observed:
- Income-generating activities never impair the training objective and the courses taught.
- Income-generating activities may not impose unfair competition.
- Staff and trainees are adequately remunerated to sustain their interest.
Lack of Entrepreneurship Education and Self-Employment Courses in the Curriculum
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, vocational and technical programmes in the country seem to prepare students, both technically and psychologically, for wage-employment either in the modern sector or in government. However, these two sectors together can absorb only a small fraction of the total labour force and thus resulting in unemployment and underemployment among the youth. Definitely, the unemployed youth cannot be part of any accelerated wealth creation crusade.
Many graduates of vocational and technical training programmes have the potential to become self-employed if they had the knowledge and skills of what it takes to start and operate an enterprise. Trainees of vocational and technical institutions acquire vocational and technical skills, which can be utilized for self-employment and enterprise creation. For this to be realized, entrepreneurship education must be introduced to equip students with knowledge and skills that could enable them identify business opportunities, start, successfully manage and expand an enterprise. Entrepreneurship education would thus enable some graduates of vocational and technical programmes to go into self-employment by initiating new business ventures and ultimately becoming employers as their businesses grow. Other added benefits of introducing entrepreneurship education will be stemming rural-urban migration and improving the stature of training institutions which suffer from an uncertain record of job placement of their graduates. Above all, the introduction of entrepreneurship education could trigger wealth creation in the training institutions through the establishment of Small Business Centres. These centres will be located in the training institutions and will operate as real enterprises providing start-up training to entrepreneurship education graduates and extension services to practising entrepreneurs. These centres could also provide linkage between the training institutions, the business community and appropriate assisting agencies or experts. If run well, the Small Business Centres could become a major source of generating income for the training institutions. The seed capital for the centres could come from the District Assembly Common Fund, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Fund or any fund relating to the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy currently being carried by the government. Such a move falls in line with the government's strategy of empowering an entrepreneurial private sector.
Mr. Chairman, the introduction of entrepreneurship education into the curriculum of vocational and technical institutions, will among other factors, depend on the availability of trained personnel, suitable literature and relevant training materials. I am happy to say that the Department of Technology Education and the Department of Business Education of the Kumasi Campus of the University of Education, Winneba have Entrepreneurship Education Course in their programmes. Thus, the two departments turn out teachers capable of teaching Entrepreneurship Education in vocational and technical schools.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, let me note here that if entrepreneurship education is to bring about any meaningful wealth creation, then graduates who want to establish their businesses must be supported in some way, especially those with promising business ideas. Such assistance could include tax holidays, land and equipment acquisition and credit facilities. Presently, the Government has instituted an annual competition aimed at identifying young entrepreneurs, to provide them with technical and financial support to begin their own businesses. Dubbed "Growing the Young Entrepreneurs," the annual competition involves submission of business plans by graduates of any of the tertiary institutions in the country to an adjudicating panel for vetting. The Ministry of Private Sector Development funds the first three winning business plans whilst the others that are adjudged viable but are not selected are assisted to raise funds from banks. I am also aware that some NGOs have also been undertaking similar exercises. When entrepreneurship education is made an integral part of vocational and technical programmes, similar competitions should be organised at the district level and assistance should be extended to graduates with promising business ideas. This could go a long way in promoting wealth creation.
Mr Chairman, the entrepreneur 's role in wealth creation cannot be over emphasised. One of the pioneer researchers in entrepreneurship, McClelland (1961), in his book "The Achieving Society" attested to this fact. His findings about what contributed to economic growth in various societies were contested at the time. McClelland saw economic development as resulting from the activities of individuals (entrepreneurs) and rejected the idea that economic development was caused by exogenous factors such as material resources. McClelland further provided a link between the individual (entrepreneur) and economic growth in the form of psychological motive, the need to achieve which he defined as "the desire to do well, not so much for the sake of social recognition or prestige, but to obtain an inner feeling of accomplishment." He hypothesised that a high need for achievement would cause individuals to behave in an entrepreneurial way and thus increase economic growth. McClelland emphasised that achievement motivation was not essentially in-born but could be developed or acquired through education. Studies conducted by other researchers confirm McClelland's findings. Additionally, the level of economic development of some countries that are not so much endowed with material resources has vindicated David McClelland. Clearly, entrepreneurship education could be used to mobilize and stimulate the use of entrepreneurial talents for wealth creation.
Mismatch Between Demand and Supply of Skills.
For vocational and technical education to play a meaningful role in wealth creation, it should be relevant, in the sense that, it should provide training that corresponds to the needs of the labour market, i. e. a system that is demand driven. Unfortunately, vocational and technical programmes in the country are presently, supply driven and not demand driven. Supply driven training almost certainly will result in giving to many students the wrong (unemployable) skills and thus resulting in training for unemployment, which not only wastes students' time, but also an inefficient use of government funding. An efficient training system is not achieved if graduates do not use and benefit from the skills acquired.
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, explanations for the lack of relevance are likely to include:
- Needs assessment that is inadequate or based on incorrect assumptions about labour market opportunities;
- Lack of linkages between training institutions and potential skill users (industry and commerce);
- Outmoded curriculum;
- Use of obsolete equipment;
- Inability or unwillingness of institutions or their staff to adapt to changing needs and circumstances;
- Wrong reasons for training, such as "keeping the youth off the streets";
- Inadequate feedback mechanisms.
What is the way forward? First, the Ministry of Manpower Development and Employment should establish a functional and vibrant unit to forecast future demands and size of the labour market. Second, the training institutions need to put in place a system of labour market monitoring, for instance in the form of employer surveys and student tracer (follow-up) studies to establish the skill requirements of the labour market. Last, but not the least, training institutions need to establish linkages with employers and trade unions. Such partnerships could lead to a curriculum derived from the requirements of the world of work, provision of financial or material support and the promotion of the industrial component of training including industrial attachment of both students and teachers.
Lack of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Curriculum
Today, the world is experiencing information revolution which brings greater challenges. Wealth creation has become knowledge based. In a world that is being radically transformed by Information and Communication Technology (ICT), it is imperative to include ICT in vocational and technical education programmes. Yet, ICT is not part of the curriculum of vocational and technical education in the country. We must however, acknowledge that the country's policy document on ICT " The Ghana ICT for Accelerated Development [ICT4AD] Policy" has given the assurance of government's commitment to "promote technical and vocational training with emphasis on the use of ICTs to facilitate the training and learning process" (Republic of Ghana, 2003, p.32). I long to see the day when ICT training will be fully integrated into the curriculum of vocational and technical institutions and made an examinable subject. Even before that day comes, principals, curriculum developers and teachers of vocational and technical programmes must familiarize themselves with ICT so that they can easily have opportunities to update and upgrade their knowledge and skills. This would impact positively on the quality of training students receive. Additionally, students see these people as role models and their endorsement of ICT would definitely motivate the students to fully embrace it when introduced.
Conclusion
Vocational and technical education could be made to play a vital role in wealth creation in the country. For this to happen, we need to give it special attention and also address certain critical issues such as:
- Lack of comprehensive national policy on vocational and technical education.
- Inadequate funding.
- Lack of entrepreneurship education and self-employment courses in the curriculum of vocational and technical education.
- Mismatch between demand and supply of skills.
- Lack of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the curriculum of vocational and technical education.
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I invite you all to further deliberate on these issues. I have no doubt in my mind that if the issues are addressed as suggested in this presentation, vocational and technical education could lead the way to accelerated wealth creation in the country.
I thank you for the invitation and your attention.
REFERENCES
McClelland, D. C. (1961). The achieving society. Princeton, NJ: Van Nostrand
Republic of Ghana. (2003). The Ghana ICT for accelerated development [ICT4AD] policy. Accra: Graphic Communications Group.
UNESCO. (Undated). Terminology of technical and vocational education guide. Paris: Author
