The Management of the Bolgatanga Technical University in the Upper East Region has called on the government to grant the institution financial clearance to employ more staff in preparation towards admission of the first batch of Free Senior High Students for September this academic year.

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the institution, Professor Francis Abantanga and the Interim Vice-Chancellor, Professor Samuel Alnaa, jointly made the call during the virtual congregation ceremony held at the university’s campus at Sumbrungu, last Saturday.

Whilst commending the government for granting the institution a full university status in April this year, the Chairman of the Governing Council and the Interim Vice Chancellor stressed that it would be very challenging to effectively handle the first batch of the Free Senior School students to be admitted this academic year with the current staff strength and infrastructure of the school.

“The Bolgatanga Technical University is seriously constrained with lecture hall space and the anticipated increase in students’ numbers next academic year as a result of the graduation of the first batch of the free SHS will be challenging. We will also need to be allowed to employed more staff, especially lecturers to augment inadequate number on the grounds,” the Chairman of the Governing Council indicated.

The Interim Vice-Chancellor on his part further implored the National Council for Tertiary Institution (NCTE) to, as a matter of urgency, conduct the staff audit assessment as it had been done with the other public universities to pave way for the migration of the staff of the new university to also benefit from the Single Spine Salary Structure.

Professor Alnaa disclosed that from the beginning of the academic year in September 2020, the university would admit students to offer one- and- half- year new Bachelor of Technology top- up programmes.

He mentioned them as Bachelor of Technology in Computerised Accounting, Bachelor of Technology in Marketing, Bachelor of Technology in Secretaryship and Management Studies, Bachelor of Technology in Supply Change Management, Bachelor of Technology in Hospitality Management, Bachelor of Technology in Ecological Agriculture, Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering and Bachelor of Technology in Building Technology.

He stated that the technical university in addition would run four-year programmes of Bachelor of Technology in Hospitality Management, Bachelor of Technology in Ecological Agriculture, Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering, Agricultural Engineering and Bachelor of Technology in Building Technology.

“This institution in the new academic year in September will also admit students to pursue Higher National Diploma Programmes in Medical Laboratory Technology, Banking and Finance, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Automobile Engineering,” the Interim Vice Chancellor disclosed.

He admonished the 362 graduands not to rely on the government for employment, but to use the knowledge acquired at the school to create jobs to complement the government’s efforts at job creation.