Winneba, June 6, GNA- An-eleven-member management committee to steer affairs of the Winneba Vocational Training Centre (WVTC) has been inaugurated in Winneba in the Central Region with Mr. Paul Attabra, an Engineering Consultlant as chairman. Inaugurating the Committee, the deputy Central Regional Minister, Mr. Samuel Obodai, said government places much emphasis on technical and vocational education to ensure the success of the new educational reforms.

He, in this regard appealed to authorities of the Centre to work harder to enable it to turn out good quality students. Mr. Obodai urged members of the newly formed committee to play an active role to reciprocate government efforts at improving facilities of vocational institutions in the country. Mr. Obodai charged vocational institutions to do their best to produce the re quired manpower for the socio-economic development of the country.

The Director of the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), Mr. Stephen Amponsah in an address read for him by Mr. Hayford Kofi Yeboah, Public Relation Officer of NVTI, noted the pivotal role vocational education plays in making labour more productive for accelerated national development. He urged members of the Committee to implement good policies that will enhance the growth and development of the Centre which would make it an excellent one. The Director said efforts were being made for the government to expand existing structures at the centre to enable it to admit more trainees.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Effutu, Mr. Robert Andrew Ghanney, advised members of the committee to inject new ideas in order to transform the institute. He pledged the readiness of the Assembly to assist the institute in its development drive and urged the committee to forward areas where it could offer help. In his welcoming address, the Manager of the Winneba Vocational Training Institute, Mr. Banyanga Callistus Kon-Anga said the Centre which was established in the 1970s, has sharpened the skills of the people in its catchment's area. He said the Centre is now running five major courses, including masonry, welding and fabrication, machining, general electrical and plumbing. Mr. Kon-Angna appealed to the government to improve facilities at the Centre to enable it to train more people to lessen the unemployment problem in the country. Mr. Kon-Angna said the Centre had been without a Board of Governors since 2001, hence the setting up of the committee was a laudable move. Mr. Ali Baba Abature, the District Magistrate, swore the committee members into office.