• Dr. Collins Owusu Kwaning [right] briefing Prof Nii Odai and others at the TV studio

 Prepared to give practical meaning to its role as the pace-setter in technical education in the coun­try, the Accra Technical University has inaugurated a Certified Electrical Wiring Professional Training Centre (CEWPTC) and a Television Studio.

The inauguration of the two training centres in the university will afford students to have practical knowledge at the centres and enable them to become proficient in their trades.

The Vice-Chancellor of ATU Prof Samuel Nii Odai in his address, said though it had been a long journey, he was happy to witness the inauguration of the two centres which would aid in the training of qualified professionals.

As a technical university, “We have to focus on doing things with our hands,” he said.

“You must take advantage of the training centres to become prominent engineers and good broadcasters who will provide quality works and pro­grammes for Ghanains. This is a priv­ilege for which you ought to be proud of,” he said.

He urged the students to leave the university with the appropriate certif­icate, adding that the Ghana Electri­cal Contractors Association and other stakeholders were ready to lend their support so far as training in the cen­tres were concerned.

He said ATU would like to liaise with the media houses for attachment pro­grammes in order to raise a generation of efficient and qualified professionals.

He tasked the two centres not to focus only on training members of the public but include the students.

Prof Samuel Nii Odai asked the students to take advantage of acquir­ing multiple qualifications to enable them to become proficient in the job market.

The President of Ghana Electrical Contractors Association, Mr Awal Zakib Mohammed bemoaned the fact that adequate skills development was fast depleting in the country, hence the need to address it by establishing skill training centres to help produce quali­fied professionals.

He said it was not enough to pro­duce graduates in a particular field but those who were equipped with the requisite practical skills.

The Head Of Department(HOD),­Liberal Studies & Communication, Dr Collins Owusu Kwaning said the inau­guration of the studio was an innova­tive way to eqip the students with the requisite skills which they would use in the field of work.

He said the studio would be used in running short courses to enrich skills development and to rake in the need­ed Internally Generated Funds (IDF).

He said the Studio would also engage in online streaming to uplift the image of the university among others.

The Head of Electrical and Electron­ic Engineering(HOD), Dr Stephen Bani said the centre would provide hands-on- training for the students.

He explained that as a Competen­cy-Based -Training Centre, it would help the students to translate the the­ories they have learnt into practice.

Earlier, the executives of the Public Relations Association, ATU Chapter were inaugurated.

 By Raymond Kyekye