Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) has reached a significant milestone in its pursuit of academic excellence and innovation by securing a Ghana Skills Development Fund (GSDF) grant worth GH₵2,062,500 ($129,000). This achievement underscores the university’s commitment to advancing research and technical education.
The grant was officially signed and handed over to the university’s management team, including Pro Vice-Chancellor Ing. Prof. Abena Obiri-Yeboah and Director of Finance Mr. Isaac Owusu Ansah. The funding is expected to greatly enhance KsTU’s capacity to undertake groundbreaking research projects and improve its technical education capabilities.
The Ghana Skills Development Fund (GSDF) is a challenge fund which addresses the skills and technological needs of enterprises operating in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy of Ghana.
The GSDF is embedded in the Government’s TVET policy which has as its objective to “improve the productivity and competitiveness of the skilled workforce and raise the income-earning capacities of people, especially women and low-income groups, through the provision of quality-oriented, industry-focused, and competency-based training programmes and complementary services”.
The scheme has 4 different windows dubbed Window 1, Window 2, Window 3, Window 4.
Window 1 focuses on skills development in the formal sector and is expected to focus on higher level skills to be provided by public or private training institutions in collaboration either with larger size employers or associations of a group of smaller size employers.
Window 3 will focus on innovative proposals from training providers that respond to economic demand.
Window 4 will focus on private sector growth and Productivity improvements through support to firms to introduce new technologies into their business practices and the development or establishment of Institutional “technology center”.
Window 2 focuses on the SMEs in the informal sector. Due to the fragmented nature of the MSEs and the informal sector, intermediary institutions, such as trade associations of informal sector enterprises, public and private training and business support institutions involved in vocations skills and apprenticeship training, registered co- operatives, and other such groupings, including private training providers and NGOs, will be engaged to identify and coordinate training for the MSEs in the informal sector
Prof. Smart Sarpong, Director of the Institute of Research Innovation and Development (IRID), expressed his gratitude for the support and highlighted the strategic importance of the grant in expanding the university’s research initiatives. Similarly, Dr. Michael Yeboah, Head of the Center for Research Development and Technology Incubation (CRDTI), emphasized the potential for fostering collaboration between academia and industry.
Ing. Prof. Abena Obiri-Yeboah commended the IRID team for their dedication and foresight in securing the grant. This funding marks a pivotal step in KsTU’s ongoing mission to lead the future of research and innovation, and the entire university community is excited about the significant developments that will arise from this support.
