The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Design and Technology Institute (DTI) – a pioneer in the development and implementation of precision quality (PQ) curriculum in the country – to strengthen the public university’s curriculum to an internationally accepted standard.
PQ is a term to highlight the importance of precision and quality in job creation. It has multiple dimensions but has a key focus on precision in industry, services, and processes to ensure that all goods, services, and processes are of world-class quality.
The PQ curriculum consists of five training modules: change to growth, process integration, people and team development, health and safety in the workplace, and managing quality and customer relations.
With the main focus of PQ being on Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the KNUST aims to use DTI’s expertise to help the university produce excellent professionals in the TVET space.
The Pro Vice-chancellor of the KNUST, Prof. Ellis Owusu-Dabo, expressed his gratitude, and highlighted that this is a step toward achieving the university’s goal of empowering students with industrial competence.
“So, this is why we are excited today that this marks the beginning of yet another step toward achieving our goals of excellence in education and ensuring that what we do reflects the academic disposition of our students,” he said.
The Pro VC emphasised that DTI has distinguished itself in the TVET space, and has set the standard high with the development of the PQ curriculum in partnership with state regulators such as the Ghana Standards Board (GSA) and the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education Training (COTVET), hence, the assurance of the management that the collaboration is a step in the right direction to benefit students.
Chief Executive of DTI, Constance Elizabeth Swaniker, on her part, stated that the PQ curriculum, if taken seriously by all training institutions, will be a game-changer to bridge the gap between academia and the world of work.
She emphasised the need for industry professionals to work closely with the universities to train industry-ready students.
“Industry will tell you that this is not a training ground, it is the role of the university to train and ensure that our students transition well into the world of work, and are also ready to be employed.
“I also realised how the industry will stop complaining and work more closely with academia. And so, I present to you a curriculum that I designed alongside industry professionals that I worked with, to bring to institutions such as KNUST and other technical universities industry-ready insights,” she said.
Ms. Swaniker believes that graduates will find jobs if they are highly equipped in their area of specialty. Adding that it is possible for every graduate from KNUST regardless of what they studied to be able to land a job.
The MoU with KNUST forms part of DTI’s collaborative strategy to work with stakeholders to reach the objective under the ‘Transforming Youth in TVET Livelihood for Sustainable Jobs Project’ in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation’s ‘Young Africa Work strategy’.
Under the project, DTI would recruit and train 1000 youths in precision fabrication and work readiness, and improve the work skills and practices of 500 master craft persons and 1000 SMEs through the Precision Quality (PQ) training Programme.
