Ms. Constance Elizabeth Swaniker, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Design and Technology Institute (DTI), has lauded government for approving the Precision Quality (PQ) Training Programme as part of the curriculum for Technical Universities.
The PQ Training Programme was designed to revolutionise the work ethics of the youth by equipping them with new skills and fresh attitudes and opportunities.
It is also to enhance the integration of young people into the workplace and prepare them to meet industries’ standards of performance.
Speaking in an interview with the media at the closing ceremony of a five-day’s training for the first batch of 12 facilitators on the PQ Training Programme in Accra, Ms. Swaniker commended the government for given approval for the commencement of the project in the various technical universities across the country.
The CEO said that indicated that government was not only keen on creating more jobs but also saw the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) sector as the driver in achieving that.
“Without the accreditation, we can’t roll out, so that was a huge step for us that government is very keen on job creation and they do understand that the TVET sector is a driver for job creation,” she said.
The five-days training dubbed: “Training of Trainers” workshop was to equip the facilitators with the requisite skill in the area to enable them to impact same to others across the country ahead of the roll out of the programme in April this year.
The PQ programme was launched in February this year after it was accredited by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education Training (COTVET).
It was designed and developed in partnership with industry experts and forms part of DTI’s partnership agreement with the MasterCard Foundation.
The project is expected to provide training to 1000 youth in precision fabrication. It will enhance the competency-based learning of selected Technical Universities in TVET training to reach 5000 students.
Furthermore, it will train 5000 Master Craft Persons (MCPs) in precision quality as well as 1000 Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) to improve their work skills and practices to meet global industry standards.
Under this agreement, 40,000 direct and indirect work opportunities and jobs are expected to be created for young people within the next three years.
The facilitators were equipped in areas such as change to grow, process integration, people and team development, health and safety in the workplace, and managing quality and customer relations.
Ms. Swaniker was optimistic that the eminent roll out of the programme would prepare students adequately for the industrial sector of the country.
She noted that with the country signing on to the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, it was imperative that industries increased the quality of goods they produced and services rendered to ensure that they raked in maximum benefit from the agreement.
Confirming the date for the commencement of the programme, the CEO said the first three years of the project would be rolled out in three Technical Universities with the Ho Technical University expected to be the first beneficiary.
“We are rolling out with three technical universities in the first three years and I am proud to say that our first roll out is with the HO Technical University and then we are going to move on to the Takoradi Technical University and then KNUST but we are starting the roll out in April,” she explained.
Commending the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) for pushing for standardisation in the country, she assured that the Institute would continue to work with regulators including the GSA, National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), Association of Ghana Industries and the Artisan Association to drive the quality standards across all sectors of the economy.
Mr. Ebenezer Owu-Ewie, Consultant for PQ and a beneficiary of the training assured that they would use the knowledge acquired to influence the PQ standards across all sectors.
