Accra, July 18, GNA- Mr Joe Issachar, Head of the Office of the Civil Service, has called for a change in work attitude, if the country is to attain middle-income status by 2015. He said although government had anticipated that with commitment, the middle-income status could be achieved by 2012, poor attitude to work could hamper its achievement. Mr Issachar made the call at the closing of the 22nd Junior Technical Supervisory Management Course of the Institute of Technical Supervision (ITS) in Accra on Thursday. Twenty-eight graduates were awarded certificates for undertaking a 20-week intensive course in Management, Building and Road Technology, Human Relations among others.

Mr Issachar stressed the need to upgrade the ITS to enable it to provide the needed technical training for civil servants so that they could play their roles effectively to drive the national agenda forward. Speaking on the theme: "Technical and Vocational Training: Key For National Development," Reverend Anthony Woode, Dean of Engineering at Accra Polytechnic, called for more emphasis on technical and vocational education to provide the youth with employable skills to curb increasing crime among them. "A number of the youth are confused and hopeless and therefore find comfort and solace in these vices. Our youth need direction and constructive engagement that will guarantee them better future," he said.

Rev. Anthony also appealed to government to revamp technical and vocational education to provide trainees equal opportunities to continue to the PhD level. He said Ghana should emulate the practice elsewhere where training was provided both within classes and the industries to enable trainees to meet the demand of the job markets. Rev. Anthony also asked government to give tax relief for industries that take such trainees to serve as a source of motivation. Mr John N.O. Welbeck, principal of ITS, identified the lack of permanent lecturers, office equipment and library facilities as affecting effective teaching and learning in the institute and appealed to corporate bodies for support. He also entreated management to provide an enabling environment for the trainees to enable them to apply skills acquired to improve productivity. Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson, Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, stressed the need for further training to the youth to sustain economic gains.