Ghana’s latest Public University – Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), has held a Virtual Matriculation Ceremony for its first batch of 7,055 fresh undergraduates and postgraduate students.
AAMUSTED, formerly the Kumasi and Asante Mampong Campuses of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), received 16,380 applications at the close of its admission application process out of which it offered admission to some 10,000 of the applicants.
However, a total of 7,055 of the admitted students (including 331 postgraduate students) had registered by January 20, 2021, the registration deadline, paving the way for their Matriculation on February 26, 2021.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of AAMUSTED, Prof. Frederick Kwaku Sarfo, in an address at the ceremony, announced joyfully that the AAMUSTED admitted many Free SHS students from less-endowed areas and students with special needs.
He congratulated the matriculants highly for prevailing despite the competitive and rigorous admission processes at AAMUSTED.
He assured them that the admission gained would present them with three major advantages – training to become professional teachers in TVET and other areas of specialisation, developing technical and vocational expertise to work in the world of work, and training in entrepreneurship to enable them create their own businesses – by the time they complete the university.
He commended the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for implementing the policy of easy access to tertiary education for all. He was also optimistic about AAMUSTED increasing its staffing and infrastructure to create enhanced opportunities for more qualified candidates to gain admission in the coming years.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor also elaborated on the exploits of the Late Akenten Appiah-Menka, the man after whom AAMUSTED is named. He described him (Late Akenten Appiah-Menka) as a trailblazer in the local manufacturing industry and pointed to his illustrious investments in manufacturing in the 1980s and 1990s which impacted positively on most households in Ghana and abroad.
“We are very confident that we shall follow his path to our success. AAMUSTED will play its leadership role to give impetus to skills acquisition and entrepreneurial training in an effort to turn around the unemployment fortunes of our country,” he said.
Prof. Sarfo extended thanks to various individuals for the roles they played in the establishment of AAMUSTED. Among the tall list were President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Asantehene, His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II; immediate past Minister of Education, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh; Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah; both immediate past and the current Members of Parliament for Kwadaso Constituency; Principals and Managements of the erstwhile COLTEK and CAGRIC, and the Management of UEW.
He assured them that AAMUSTED would deliver on its mandate to provide higher education in technical, vocational, and entrepreneurial training to develop skilled manpower for job creation and economic development, among other pertinent aims.0.
