STEM/TVET Will Make Student Entrepreneurs - Ayeh-Paye

Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayensuano constituency, Samuel Ayeh-Paye, has called on Ghanaians to prioritize government's STEM and TVET programmes in order to churn out student entrepreneurs.

STEM which stands for Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics together with Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) are programmes designed to prepare students for the job market right after school.

Recently, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, speaking at a graduation ceremony at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), urged graduates to find innovative ways of becoming entrepreneurs.

He said it will help reduce the over-reliance on the government for jobs and the burden on the government’s payroll.

“That payroll is full because we are spending some 60% of our revenue on remunerating some 650,000 people. That is not sustainable.”

“ . . You have the skills set to be able to do what you have to do. Our responsibility as a government is to create the environment and the macro stability, currency stability and ensure that you have access to the relevant skills and financing,” he said.

Samuel Ayeh-Paye shares similar views as he calls for major changes to be effected in the country's education system.

According to him, the focus should be on technical and vocational education so as to equip students with practical skills to be self-made and cut down the over-reliance on government for jobs.

Speaking to Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Samuel Ayeh-Paye recounted how he has benefited from technical education citing he has been able to establish himself in agriculture and other business sectors.

He underscored the need for STEM/TVET saying ''it is important to prioritize STEM/TVET because this is way forward for Ghana . . . If you take 100 people through technical education, it is likely that 60 of them will set up their own businesses".

He hoped theoretical teaching will reduce to pave way for practical lessons.