The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has charged universities to churn out people with multiple and relevant skills who can be easily employed.
He said there was the need for private universities in the country to complement government effort by assisting in the training of the quality manpower needs of the country since the government alone could not provide all the insatiable needs of its people including education opportunities.
The Asantehene was speaking at the maiden congregation and inaugural ceremony of the Christ Apostolic University College in Kumasi.
The ceremony saw 215 students being honoured with degrees and certificates in various courses of study at the university.
Established as a Bible Training Centre in 1973 at Bantama in Kumasi, it began with 15 students for a two-year Diploma in Theology and in 1986, was renamed as Bible Training Institute.
As part of the Church’s corporate vision to help train people to meet the nation’s manpower needs of the country and the world, an emergency Ministerial and General Council meeting was held at Bunso Cocoa College in the year 2007 where the members unanimously approved the establishment of the Christ Apostolic University College.
The University College affiliated to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi was approved by the National Accreditation Board on February 15, 2011.
Commencing with 82 students, the University now has 989 students pursuing various courses.
The Asantehene emphasized the need for present day institutions to tailor their programmes to produce graduates with vocational, technical and entrepreneurial capabilities to enable them set up their own businesses after graduation.
He added that entrepreneurship as a course of study should be introduced in many programmes in tertiary institutions to prepare students to venture into areas with confidence.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II appealed to proprietors of private institutions to make their programmes accessible and affordable so that as many people as possible could take advantage and educate themselves.
He also urged the government to consider giving private institutions some support in the form of tax holidays and subventions so that they could expand to take in more qualified students gallivanting in the streets for lack of either vacancies or resources.
The Asantehene reminded the graduands that the certificates being given them alone did not guarantee them jobs but attributes such as commitment, hard work, honesty, perseverance, sacrifice and loyalty should be exhibited to make them complete and appreciated at their work places.
The Chancellor of the Christ Apostolic University College, Dr Stephen Kwame Ntow commended the Asantehene for his support and role he is playing in the development of education in the country.
He said the goal of the university was to maintain an environment that promotes diversity and access without regard to race, colour, gender, religion, nationality, age or disability as it seeks to integrate the intellectual, spiritual, moral, ethical and social development of the students.
