By | 1 October 2019

The University of Education, Winneba has been awarded Commonwealth of Learning Grant Train Youth in Automotive Electronic Car Repairs and Maintenance

The College of Technology Education, Kumasi (COLTEK) has won a 57,000-Canadian-Dollar-grant under the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) to pilot “Skills-in-Demand Project” in Ghana. With the grant, COLTEK will train, at least, 100 Ghanaian youth in Automotive Electronic car repairs and maintenance.

COL is an inter-governmental organisation established by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1988 with the focus on encouraging the development and sharing of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies.

COLTEK won the grant via a competitive bidding effort in which twenty (20) other TVET institutions in Commonwealth countries in Africa also competed.

Members of COLTEK at the meeting (from right to left) Dean of Vocational Education (FVE), Prof. Martin Amoah; Dean of Technical Education (FTE), Prof. Stephen Jobson Mitchual; Coordinator, TVET Programmes at COLTEK, Dr. Humphrey Danso and Dean of Education and Communication Sciences (FECS), Prof. Isaac Boateng

The College’s grant application was spearheaded by the Dean of the Faculty of Business Education (FBE), Prof. Isaac Boateng and Senior Lecturer, Department of Wood and Construction, Dr. Humphrey Danso with the support of the Principal of COLTEK, Professor Frederick K. Sarfo and Prof. Stephen J. Mitchual, Dean of the Faculty of Technical Education (FTE).

COLTEK is partnering with automotive garages in Kumasi to execute the pilot “Skills-in-Demand Project”, which is expected to culminate in the development of an Interactive Online Platform (IOP) for providing theoretical underpinnings for electronic car engines.

Accordingly, the leadership of the Garages Association at Asafo Magazine in Kumasi, on September 5, 2019 called at COLTEK for further deliberations toward the commencement of the actual practical training of the 100 informal apprentices under the pilot “Skills- in-Demand Project.”

The Dean of Faculty of Vocational Education (FVE)and Representative of the Principal of COLTEK at the meeting, Prof. Martin Amoah (Right) addressing the members of the Garages Association flanked by the Dean of FTE, Prof. Mitchual

Welcoming them on behalf of the Principal of COLTEK, the Dean of the Faculty of Vocational Education (FVE), Prof. Martin Amoah stressed the urgent need for collaboration between academia and industry to push forward the development agenda of the nation.

He assured the Garages Association of COLTEK’s commitment to create a congenial atmosphere for a thriving partnership between the two bodies with resultant mutual benefits and the good of Mother Ghana.

The Dean of FTE, Prof. Mitchual re-iterated the need for Ghana’s education to be properly focused on TVET in order to guarantee the expeditious mitigation of the high unemployment rate in the country.

Members of the Garages Association at the meeting ( from right to left)  Messrs Donald Opare, Chairman; James Boateng, Vice Chairman; Akwasi Nyanse, Secretary as well as Tetteh Ayiku and Kwadwo Frimpong, both members.

The Chairman of the Garages Association, Mr. Donald Opare was very happy that the Management of COLTEK had found them up to the task by inviting the Association for partnership assured them of their unalloyed commitment and support to the success of the project.

Other leaders of the Garages Association who accompanied the Chairman to COLTEK were Messrs James Boateng, Vice Chairman; Akwasi Nyanse, Secretary as well as Tetteh Ayiku and Kwadwo Frimpong, both members.

They were conducted round some of the College’s well-resourced workshops to familiarise themselves with some of the modern machines available there.

An Assistant at COLTEK’s Automotive Workshop (extreme right) introducing a machine to the guests
A group photograph of COLTEK and the Garages Association members who were at the meeting