TVET Expert Advocates Vocational Skills Competition

Sang Taek Choi

An expert in technical and vocational education has called for the institution of a ‘national skill competition’ to raise awareness about opportunities that exist in skilled professions and encourage the youth to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

Sang Taek Choi, Korean Advisor of the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET), is optimistic that the competition system, which would bring about quantum quality improvement  in the national technical and vocational education and training, would also encourage the youth to have a dream in the future by exploring career opportunities in skilled trade and high technology.

In Ghana, a number of the youth undergo technical or vocational training courses such as dressmaking, hairdressing, brick laying, carpentry, masonry, mechanic, among others but are unable to start their own businesses due lack of skills and capital.

Others take on vocational and technical training courses hoping to be employed afterwards but only get to know at the end of the programmes that there are no ready jobs for them.

In an exclusive interview with CITY & BUSINESS GUIDE, Mr. Choi said a recent report to access the perception of the public on Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) in Ghana by the London City Guilds concluded that TVET is not considered to be attractive and challenging field for the youth.

He was of the view that skills competition system could correct such misguided value system.

“The youth shy away from it now,” said Mr. Choi, who is not happy about how the empowerment of the youth has been downplayed.

On the skills competition, he explained that regional contests should be held to select winners at the national level.

The winner of the national competition would then represent Ghana at the world-acclaimed World Skills International Competition, formerly known as the International Skill Olympics.

He noted that the international skills competition, which has been running for over 80 years, symbolizes the pinnacle of excellence in vocational training world-widely and would motivate the youth who have taken up such vocation.

Every two years, hundreds of young skilled people from around the world gather to compete and test themselves according to international standards and they are awarded medals.

This year, the event would take place in London with young people from across the globe competing to be the best in their chosen skill from 5-8 October 2011.
1,000 competitors from 50 countries are expected to compete in 45 skill areas ranging from electronics to plumbing, creative arts and fashion in four exciting days of competition.

Mr. Choi, whose country has won the championship for 16 times out of 25 appearances since 1967 said, “It is not too late, Ghana can start preparing for the 2013 event which would take place in Germany.”

He recounted how his country, Korea which was completely devastated after a three-year war in 1953 was able to rebuild through the willingness of the people and change in attitude.

The man, who has been in Ghana for nearly a year said, “We do not have the good land and other natural resources that Ghana has but we used the human resource that we have and Ghana has potential human resources which I see all the time.”

As his one-year stay in Ghana draws closer, Mr. Choi intends to organize a workshop for the stakeholders in the technical and vocational education and training sponsored by Korean International Cooperation Agency to sell his idea to them “that Ghana also could do it.”
In Korea and other places, he said, country representatives who partake in the world skills international are seen as national heroes and upon their return they are met at the airport in the midst of fun fair after which they are paraded through town.

Mr. Choi is hopeful Ghana would benefit a lot from the competition, noting that vocational training curricula should be reviewed to encourage the use of modern and advance technology to inspire future generations of skilled and high-qualified professionals.

By Emelia Ennin Abbey