The Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED) in Kumasi has been recording a significant increase in student enrollment and major academic achievements.
However, the institution is faced with an infrastructure and staffing deficit.
At its fourth graduation ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor of the University appealed for financial clearance to employ academic and non-academic staff.
Over the years, AAMUSTED has expanded its academic offerings and student population, positioning itself as a key institution in skills training and entrepreneurial development in Ghana.
Speaking at the fourth graduation ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Frederick Kwaku Sarfo, attributed the steady growth of the university to the hard work, resilience, and dedication of both staff and students.
“The progress we are witnessing today is the result of the commitment, resilience, and discipline of our staff and students. We have deliberately designed our programmes to be competency-based, to ensure our graduates are equipped with practical skills for national development,” he observed.
Professor Sarfo disclosed that the university now offers 160 academic programmes, including 96 undergraduate and 64 postgraduate programmes, all integrated with Competency-Based Training to meet industry needs.
He added that the university has introduced a new Bachelor of Education programme in line with the new Senior High School standards-based curriculum, to help transform teaching and learning.
“In line with the new standards-based curriculum at the Senior High School level, we have strengthened skills-oriented and entrepreneurial teacher education to prepare competent teachers for our schools.”
Student enrollment has also increased significantly. The Kumasi Campus currently has over 29,000 students, while the Asante Mampong Campus has close to 9,500 students.
The university has also launched two academic journals to promote research and innovation.
However, the Vice-Chancellor noted that the rapid growth has come with challenges, particularly in staffing and infrastructure.
“We are constrained by inadequate staffing and infrastructure. We urgently need financial clearance to recruit more academic staff, as well as lecture halls, hostels, modern library facilities, and ICT centres to support quality teaching and learning.”
Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, assured the university of the government’s commitment to addressing these challenges.
“The government is committed to strengthening AAMUSTED. The Ministry of Education will provide clearance for the recruitment of both academic and non-academic staff to improve service delivery at the university.”
Dr. Apaak further announced that the government will construct a hospital to serve the university and its surrounding communities and continue work on ongoing hall projects on campus.
“We will also ensure the completion of the ongoing hall projects and provide a hospital to serve the health needs of the university community and residents in the surrounding areas.”
He reiterated the government’s commitment to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and entrepreneurial teacher education programmes and revealed that the government has absorbed academic facility user fees for over 142,000 first-year students in public tertiary institutions.
“Government remains committed to TVET and entrepreneurial education. As part of our social intervention, academic facility user fees have been absorbed for first-year students in public tertiary institutions,” he said.
