He said that was critical because practical orientation of polytechnic training made it the primary avenue for the development of skills for business and industry.
The President also stressed the need for polytechnic education to be developed as a credible alternative to other forms of tertiary education focusing on the practical.8spec'ts of training of students.
The President made the remarks in an address read on his behalf by the Minister of Education, Mr. Alex Teteh Enyo, at the 7th congregation of the Koforidua Polytechnic at the weekend.
In all, 915 students, out of which IS had first class honours graduated in various programmes at the Higher National Diploma (l-IND) level and were presented with certificates. The ceremony was attended by a number of dignitaries including the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.
He emphasised that the Competency-Based Training (CBT) method being introduced into the polytechnics, including the Koforidua Polytechnic, would equip their products with entrepreneurial capacity to enable them to setup their own' 'businesses to be employers rather than employees.
President Mills said it was in that respect that the government was fully resourcing the polytechnics, including the Koforidua Polytechnic which he said had been recently allocated GH¢1.4 million by the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) for the construction of infrastructural amenities and development of the capacity of staff.
The President congratulated the graduates for their successes and advised them to look into the future with determination, and advised them to use the knowledge acquired to serve the nation and humanity in general.
The Rector of the polytechnic, Dr George Afrane, said the polytechnic, which was established in 1997 with a handful of students who studied Marketing, Purchasing and Supply now had a student population of 4, 174 pursuing various programmes at various levels.
In addition, he said the polytechnic was running distance learning centres at Oda and Nkawkaw, and that it had planned to extend such centres to other towns in the region.
A long vacation programme, he said, was also being organised for workers within the New Juaben Municipality.
Dr Afrane who expressed satisfaction with the performance of the academic staff and the students, said such an achievement was due to the disciplinary measures instituted, and gave an assurance that the required security measures were being taken to ensure that its certificates which were being awarded internally would continue to be recognised as those of any other government tertiary educational institution in the country.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Chairman of the Governing Council of the polytechnic, Nana Nkwantabisa III said with the passage of the New Polytechnic Law 2007 (Act 745), the focus and the expected output from the polytechnics had received a new focus which demanded that drastic and concerted efforts on the part of all stakeholders should be made towards achieving the noble goal of providing the requisite enabling environment for teaching, learning and research.
He stated that the academic autonomy enjoyed by polytechnics under the law equally necessitated a shift towards providing the condition of service package that would retain staff and attract top-class students, and that the initiative had turned Koforidua Polytechnic into a centre of excellence.
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