The CEO of the Minerals Commission, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, has reiterated his call for a transformation in the perception of technical education.
Emphasizing the need to dispel the stigma associated with technical schools, Mr. Ayisi highlighted the untapped potential for individuals to pursue careers in engineering and technical fields, regardless of their academic background.
In addressing the prevalent ‘dropout’ mentality, he emphasized that technical education offers a viable pathway to gainful employment, particularly within the mining sector, underscoring the misconception that technical school graduates are considered inferior, noting the importance of shifting societal perceptions towards valuing practical skills and expertise.
“It is time we kill the ‘dropout’ mentality. Because there is a path they can use to become gainfully employed and that is technical path. The mines need more of those who read technical courses”
“The issue is not because people don’t know these things. But largely due to mentality. It is an issue of mentality. I identify this thing, people believe that those who went to technical schools are dropouts, when you go to ATTC or Takoradi Technical University, people consider you to be a dropout” he explained to Dr. Randy Abbey host of Metro TV’s flagship News and Current Affairs Show, Good Morning Ghana
Expressing concern over the diversion of focus from engineering programs at institutions like Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Mr. Ayisi advocated for maintaining specialized engineering schools akin to prestigious institutions such as MIT and Imperial College. He challenged the notion that financial constraints were the sole issue, highlighting the significance of preserving engineering-focused curricula to meet the demands of industries like mining.
“I was getting worried when KNUST started flooding the school with humanity programmes, I mean the university was established to be a world class engineering institution. One of the finest engineering schools in the world is MIT. At MIT nobody is doing law there, it is all engineering”
So, why couldn’t we keep our KNUST as an engineering school?
KNUST should be kept like bespoke universities like Imperial College and MIT, the CEO of Minerals Commission queried.
Mr. Ayisi urged a cultural shift towards prioritizing technical education, citing success stories of individuals who have excelled in technical fields despite lacking traditional academic qualifications.
He emphasized that there is abundance of opportunities within the mining industry and called for concerted efforts to educate parents and students about the promising career prospects in technical vocations.
“There is hope for everyone that desires to be engineers but couldn’t study sciences in their second cycle or first degree. There is a guy in one of our offices, didn’t have even JHS education but he’s now doing his first degree in electrical engineering. Those who went to the ivy league SHSs could not much up to him in terms of employment”
Our problem is mentality. So, technical skills and practical skills is the way to go. It is time to let parents know that folks in technical schools are not dropouts. There are a lot of jobs in the mines and there are more coming, he concluded.
By: Bright Yao Dzakah | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana
