The Department of Vocational and Technical Education (VoTEC), in collaboration with UNESCO-UNEVOC, has joined the world to celebrate this year’s World Youth Skills Day on the theme: “Skills for a Shared Future.”
World Youth Skills Day, established by the United Nations, is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of equipping young people with the tools they need for employability, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
As part of the event, a skills exhibition programme was held by all Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across Cape Coast at the forecourt of the School of Graduate Studies to showcase students' ingenuity.
Speaking at the event, a Professor in Development Sociology at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, UCC, Prof. William Boateng, advised the youth to venture into entrepreneurship to create wealth for themselves and others, indicating that it was a positive step to solve the current increasing unemployment rate in the country.
According to him, despite the unemployment challenges confronting the country, there were still vast untapped opportunities available that many people could explore to contribute to national development.
According to him, the world was now in an era of entrepreneurship and therefore urged the students to consider venturing into the Vocational and Technical Education,
He called on the government to encourage the teaching of entrepreneurship in schools.
He advised young learners to develop an interest in pursuing TVET courses to acquire skills to set up their own businesses to ensure easier employment opportunities than waiting for the government for jobs.
He said the country was not doing well because emphasis was not put on TVET, which was critical for national development and part of the solution to addressing unemployment.
By equipping themselves with the right skills and mindset, he said the youth would thrive in the fast-evolving digital landscape by remaining relevant and competitive.
Ghanaian youth, he insisted, should take an active role in nation-building, emphasising that involving young people at all levels of development and national discussions was crucial for amplifying their voices, influencing policy, and fostering civic participation.
"The Ghanaian youth must be heard, and their voices must be captured in our democratic discourse, and as a country, we must continue to nurture and engage our youth with patriotic values to enable them to play active roles in national and democratic development," he said.
Coordinator for UNESCO-UNEVOC at UCC, Dr. Mrs. Christina Boateng, emphasized the need to prepare young people not only for today’s job market but also for the evolving digital economy.
The Head of VoTEC, Dr. Manasseh E. Komla Amu, expressed worry that many young people were reluctant to pursue TVET due to negative perceptions that it was meant for academically weak students and concerns about limited financial returns.
He, therefore, called for deliberate efforts to reposition TVET by showcasing successful graduates and strengthening partnerships between training institutions and industry.
He used the occasion to urge political, traditional, and religious leaders to help reduce the stigma associated with TVET, mobilise community support, and facilitate opportunities that link young people to practical training and employment.
The Chairman of the event, the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology Education, Prof. Kofi Ayebi-Arthur, in his remarks, charged the youth to take a keen interest in the acquisition of skills that would make them employable so they do not end up joining thousands of unemployed youth parading on the streets across the country due to the lack of job opportunities in the country.
The event attracted students from some Senior High Schools as well as representatives from the various youth groups in the Cape Coast Municipality.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
