The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, (KNUST) and the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Service are set to begin a strategic collaboration aimed at hosting a TVET Centre of Excellence through the TCC International Centre for Innovation, Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology Transfer, and Entrepreneurship (TCC-CIMET).
The proposed partnership aligns with the Government of Ghana’s vision to establish TVET Centres of Excellence across the country’s regions, with a focus on skills development, job creation, and youth empowerment.
A delegation from the TVET Service, led by the Director-General, Dr. Eric Kofi Adzroe, paid a working visit to KNUST to explore areas of collaboration and assess the university’s readiness to host the Centre.
Dr. Adzroe described KNUST as a hub of excellence, expressing confidence in the university’s capacity to champion the initiative.
“Our mandate is centred on hands-on, practical training, and this project strongly aligns with that objective. For KNUST to lead this activity, we believe this is the right place,” he stated.
He emphasised the critical role of TVET in national development, noting that technical and vocational education remains central to building the skills of young people and expanding employment opportunities across sectors.
“TVET is involved in almost everything we do as a nation, and it is not an area we can afford to overlook,” he added.
The Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, reaffirmed the university’s readiness to collaborate with the TVET Service.
“You are at the right place when it comes to excellence. We are ready to walk and work with you,” she noted.
She stressed the issue of unemployment among the youth as a pressing challenge that makes such collaborations both timely and necessary. And urged swift action for the commencement of the partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The Director-General of TCC-CIMET, Prof. Francis Davis, presented an overview of the centre’s work and its role in advancing applied science and innovation.
He explained that the initiative followed early engagements with the Ministry of Education, during which TCC-CIMET expressed its willingness to support the government’s technical, vocational, and job-creation agenda.
Operating under a tripartite arrangement involving the Government of Ghana, UNESCO, and KNUST, TCC-CIMET identified the need for strong institutional partnerships to drive sustainable impact.
“Science must end in reality, and that is what we believe in at KNUST,” Prof. Davis stated.
He highlighted KNUST’s strategic positioning to host the Centre of Excellence, citing its role in hosting the Foundry and Machinery Laboratory, fully equipped with the resources required for skills-based training and industry-oriented learning.
According to Prof. Davis, TCC-CIMET offers Ghana a credible, cost-effective, and proven pathway for technical innovation, with demonstrated expertise in manufacturing, engineering, and industrial collaboration.
He outlined the centre’s vision for strategic collaboration with the TVET Service to strengthen practical training, support industrial linkages, and enhance employability outcomes for young people.
By: Abena Serwaa Gyamfi
