He said the technical committee put in place to work out modalities to upgrade the country’s polytechnic into the university level had concluded it work and the implementation would start by September 2016.
Mr Ablakwa said this, in a speech read on his behalf, at the eighth congregation of the Sunyani Polytechnic on Saturday.
A total of 2,047 students were presented with awards of Bachelor of Technology in Building Technology and Higher National Diploma in Engineering, Business and Management Studies as well as Applied Science and Technology.
They have successfully completed their programmes for 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 academic years.
Mr Ablakwa said the Ministry of Education is collaborating with the German Academic Exchange Services for the needed support towards the establishment of the technical universities.
He called on the various polytechnics to consider introducing more Bachelor of Technology programmes that would provide their products with the requisite skills to make them self-employed.
Mr Ablakwa also urged the graduates to initiate and establish business and strive to become employers rather than employees.
Professor Kwadwo T Djang-Fordjour, the Rector of the Sunyani Polytechnic, said the institution had sponsored many of its staff to pursue PhD programmes both in the country and abroad.
He said currently 23 of the polytechnic’s teaching staff are pursuing various programmes at the PhD level.
Prof Djang-Fordjour said the polytechnic has acquired 250 acres of land for the establishment of a second campus at Duayaw-Nkwanta and appealed to government to give needed financial clearance to enable the polytechnic to replace staff for the 2014/2015 academic year.
Source: GNA
