The Cape Coast Technical University (CCTU) in responding to changes in the global sphere, will from next academic year (2020/2021) introduce eleven Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) programmes for prospective students.
The programmes in B.Tech include Mechanical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction, Automation, and Electrical, Electronic Engineering and Applied Statistics.
Others are Hospitality Management, Industrial Accounting and Finance, Food and Post-Harvest Technology and Renewable Energy.
The Vice Chancellor of (VC) CCTU, Prof. Joshua Danso Owusu-Sekyere announced this at the second congregation, and explained that, the institution had initiated a number of projects that would provide hands-on training for the students.
A total number of 882 students graduated in Bachelor of Technology, and other Higher National Diploma programmes at the institution.
Prof. Owusu-Sekyere said the introduction of the programmes forms part of restructuring the Academic Department to remain relevant in the changing world economy.
The VC announced that the institution had established a Renewable Energy Centre that would host the B.Tech Renewable Energy programme and also provide services and training in renewable energy within and outside CCTU.
“We intend to ultimately have a School of Renewable Energy which will complement the assignment of this centre,” he said.
Prof. Owusu-Sekyere further said that the Civil Engineering and Building Technology department had registered a construction company to carry out engineering consultancy building and civil engineering works as well as research and training.
The university, he said, had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Stallion Motors Ghana Limited to provide capacity building for staff of CCTU and also train students in the area of auto engineering.
“In addition to training our students and upgrading their skills, the project will also serve as an income generating venture for the university,” he said.
Prof. Owusu-Sekyere said the university in the 2019/2020 academic year admitted 1,398 qualified applicants out of 1,419 applications into Bachelor of Technology, Higher National Diploma and other diploma programmes.
The university, he said, was in dire need of staff and appealed to government to give them the financial clearance to recruit additional staff.
“Considering that the work load of academic staff will increase in the next academic year, we request for more slots to enable us recruit more staff,” he said.
The Minister of Education in charge of Tertiary Education, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, in an address read on his behalf, expressed government’s commitment in expanding technical and vocational activities at both the secondary and tertiary levels.
He urged the VC and management of CCTU to continue strengthening TVET in the institution.
The government, he said, had plans to provide additional hostel to accommodate most of the students living outside campus.
“The auditorium complex which has also stalled for some time now, will soon receive attention,” he said.
Prof. Yankah further said the government through COTVET was building a science laboratory centre to assist skills development at the institution.
“This means that the right students-lecturer ratio should be upheld at all times to make our education system different and attractive,” he said.
On the recruitment of staff, Prof. Yankah said, government would soon give clearance for the additional staff to augment the existing ones to meet the expected increase in students numbers.
The Chairman of the CCTU Governing Council, Prof. Harold Amonoo-Kwofi, in his address, appealed to the government for financial clearance to enable the institution to recruit additional teaching and non-teaching staff for enhanced academic work.
He also called for support in the construction of hostel facilities to support students residing outside the university campus.
Additionally, he called on the government to support efforts geared towards the completion of auditorium complex for the university.
