THE Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, has urged the newly constitut­ed Governing Council of the Accra Technical University (ATU) to leverage the institution's strength in technical and vocational training to address the country's growing unemploy­ment crisis.According to the Minister, aligning technical education with the demands of the job market, the university can play a vital role in reducing youth unemployment and supporting national develop­ment efforts.Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held on Tuesday in Accra, the Minister highlighted the urgent need for the Council to address a two-year leadership vacuum at ATU, noting that the lack of a substantive Vice-Chancellor has negatively impacted institutional management."I'm aware the university has been without a Vice-Chancellor for the past two years.

This is a major governance gap that your Council must act on as a matter of priority," he emphasised.He underscored the pivotal role of technical universities in national development, particularly in equip­ping the youth with practical skills that enhance employability.Mr Haruna cited the university's academic expansion-including 12 masters and 24 Business and Tech­nology Education Council (BTEC) -accredited programmes-as a foundation for further growth."The answer to Ghana's un­employment lies in strengthening technical and vocational training.

We must change the narrative and stop seeing technical education as a path only for the less academically inclined," he stated.Adding to it, the Minister pointed out to longstanding infrastructure challenges, including uncompleted projects dating back as far as 2012, such as the university's adminis­tration block, which is 85 per cent complete.He, however, assured the Council of government's support in com­pleting these legacy projects, em­phasising the constitutional require­ment for successive governments to continue ongoing developments.In his response, the chairman of the council, Prof.

Ernest Kofi Abotsi, expressed gratitude to the Minister for the trust reposed in the team and pledged to deliver on the mandate given."You hit the nail on the head regarding the leadership gap at the university.