Kumasi, Nov 27, GNA-The Right Reverend Dr Sam Prempeh, the outgoing Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana on Saturday cut the sod for work to begin on the construction of the Presbyterian Centre for Vocational Instructors' Development (PRECEVID) at Kyirapatre near Kumasi.

The centre estimated to cost nine billion cedis would be financed through locally generated funds and from foreign donors.

Miss Comfort Ntiamoah, Director of Vocational Training of Females (VTF) of the Church, said the VTF started in 1992, aimed at promoting employment opportunities for females and males through relevant vocational and technical skills training for sustainable livelihood. She said the centre would have a training system to provide in-service training for trained and untrained instructors, master craftsmen and women.

She noted that areas of training would include hospitality, textiles and clothing, computer skills, block laying and concreting and tiling.

Miss Ntiamoah extended her gratitude and appreciation to the planning committee of the PRECEVID, the Asante Presbytery of the Church and others for their contributions, which led to the establishment of the centre.

Mr Nick Opoku, an engineering consultant and a member of the Presbytery Planning Committee, said inadequate qualified instructors and trainers is a major deficiency in the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) sector and stressed the need to address the problem. He noted that the TVET system was therefore aimed at creating a responsive human resource supply system to produce high quality skilled workforce to make Ghana's industries more competitive locally and globally.

Nana Akosah Yiadom, Amakomhene, who chaired the function, commended the church for its efforts of promoting education in the country and appealed for more support to ensure early completion of the centre.