Gov’t committed to reforming technical education, digital skills infrastructure – Dr Apaak
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to reforming technical education and expand investment in digital skills infrastructure.
The Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak, who stated this during the 25th congregation and graduation ceremony of the Accra Technical University in Accra on Friday, said the new policy direction formed part of a wider national agenda to reposition technical universities as key drivers of industrialisation and employment creation through hands-on and skills-based training.
The graduation ceremony, which awarded degrees, diplomas and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) to 5,016 students, highlighted the university’s continued transformation into a degree-awarding, industry-aligned institution.
Dr Apaak in his address commended the university’s leadership for advancing institutional growth, research output and innovation.
He said the graduation of postgraduate students demonstrated growing national confidence in technical universities and their role in Ghana’s socio-economic transformation agenda.
Dr Apaak urged the graduates to embrace innovation, entrepreneurship and lifelong learning as they transition into the workforce, and encouraged them to contribute meaningfully to the country’s industrial and technological advancement.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Amevi Acakpovi, in his address noted that the congregation represented both academic achievement and the institution’s commitment to quality assurance, academic integrity and institutional growth.
He stated that the university had undergone a significant academic shift, with Bachelor of Technology (BTech) programmes now accounting for nearly half of all graduates. That, he emphasised, reflected a deliberate move away from the traditional dominance of Higher National Diploma (HND) training towards degree-level technical education aligned with industry needs.
Professor Acakpovi also announced the graduation of the university’s first cohort of postgraduate students, describing it as a foundational step in strengthening advanced research capacity and expanding higher-level academic training.
He revealed that the university produced approximately 150 peer-reviewed research publications in 2025 and hosted three international conferences, with proceedings published by Springer Nature, underscoring its growing international academic footprint.
According to him, the institution continued to attract strong demand, receiving more than 27,000 applications, while its student population now exceeds 36,000.
He added that the university currently runs 103 accredited academic programmes across various disciplines.
Professor Acakpovi further disclosed that the institution had secured several competitive research and development grants aimed at promoting innovation and industry collaboration.
They include more than GH¢2.1 million invested in precision-quality training, over $104,000 directed towards agripreneurship initiatives, and a $160,000 grant focused on strengthening innovation in the health sector.
He also mentioned that an 80-kilowatt solar power system had also been installed to improve energy reliability on campus.
BY RAYMOND APPIAH AMPONSAH
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