President Urges UEW Management to Propel Growth with ICT-Focused 2024–2028 Corporate Strategic Plan
In a compelling address, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has advocated for the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), to embrace an ICT-driven 2024-2028 strategic plan. Stressing the transformative power of digitisation, he highlights the impact of emerging technologies on work, life, and learning.
Speaking at the 28th Congregation of UEW, the President, represented by Hon. Alhaji Zubairu Kassim, underscored Africa's educational challenges and the imperative for digitisation to enhance tertiary education accessibility. He emphasised the role of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) in spearheading this transformative initiative.
Acknowledging the employment gap, President Akufo-Addo underscored the need to equip Ghanaian youth, especially graduates, for the job market. He addressed global issues of skills mismatch, calling for regulatory frameworks to enhance graduates' employability and competencies.
“Africa is a continent with the greatest educational marginalisation, according to UNESCO, with sub-Saharan Africa as the region with the highest rate of education exclusion in the world. It is therefore evident that sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, should leverage digitisation to make tertiary education more accessible.
“Despite Africa’s employment dynamics, it is also quite revealing that the labour market is replete with issues of skills mismatch. In 2019, it was estimated that 54% of employers could not find the right set of skills for employment, while an estimated 187 million people worldwide were without jobs, pointing to the persistent skills mismatch. Statistics from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), also indicate that about 69% of employers across the globe are unable to find the right skills for their available job,” he affirmed.
The President pledged government support for academic institutions to conduct research and advocated for policies to address the skills gap. He reaffirmed the commitment to promoting academic freedom to shape the nation's human resources for development.
In congratulating the UEW graduating class, President Akufo-Addo commended their diligence and hard work, expressing confidence in their ability to achieve greater milestones. He concluded with a heartfelt wish for success and a blessing for the nation's prosperity.
