President John Mahama has underscored the importance of technical education to the country’s development.

He said there had been a shift by many organisations in the employment of personnel, as they were now predisposed to hiring graduates with technical capabilities.

The president said these following the launch of a programme to convert the nation’s ten polytechnics into technical universities. The event, held at the Takoradi Polytechnic in the Western region, saw the institution become the first beneficiary of the scheme with the name changed to Takoradi Technical University.

Addressing lecturers and students at the ceremony, the President said: “This country will be transformed by the skills and knowledge of students in institutions such as yours. I have said time and again that the demands of the job market in Ghana have changed. Business and industry are no more looking for the ‘booklong’ grammar school education that some of us received.

“The job market today is looking for skilled, practical, technical personnel. The economic strength of a country is inextricably linked to the skills and competencies of its workforce. These skills and competences needed for optimum national development are in boundless supply in well-resourced technical universities which your institution is going to become.”

Six polytechnics are to be converted to technical universities across the country with accreditation to run undergraduate programmes and award degrees. These are the Takoradi, Accra, Kumasi, Ho, Sunyani, and Koforidua polytechnics.