President John Mahama has assured of his government’s move to fast track the development of infrastructure in the various polytechnics across the country as they assume a technical university status.

“What we are going to do is that we are going to fast track the development of infrastructure in the universities, in the polytechnics that are yet to begin the technical university programmes,” he said.

President Mahama said this when he cut sod for the construction of a new campus for the Kumasi Polytechnic, which is one of the various polytechnics upgraded to a technical university. The President also inaugurated the Institution’s Centre for Renewable Energy and Entrepreneurship Village at Piase near Kuntenase.

The project is aimed at promoting industry-academia collaboration. The Centre is expected to create a business hub for innovative firms and entrepreneurs to bridge the gap between academia and industry.

President Mahama revealed his government’s plan to support lecturers and faculty members with scholarships to upgrade their skills and knowledge “We are going to give their lecturers and faculties scholarships to go and top up their degree programs so that they are able to achieve the standards to be able to teach in this technical universities,” he revealed.

President Mahama said polytechnics which will not be immediately upgraded to a technical university will also benefit from some developments, saying “lecturers will get scholarships, new structures will be built in their campuses in order to enable them catch up with the rest and be able to start their programs as soon as possible”.

Minister of Education, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang stressed the importance of technical education and government’s quest to improve the sector. “What this government is doing is to advance that believe and to put resources to ensure that we get what it is that we need. We need to rethink how we train our students and especially in the technical and vocational areas so that when they are completed with their studies they will be able to move this country forward”.