The Ghana TVET Service, in partnership with Trans-Saharan Industries and the Ministry of Education, have launched the Bicycle Education Empowerment Programme (BEEP) to improve access to technical and vocational education institutions in underserved areas.
Through the initiative,100 locally assembled bicycles were donated to selected institutions for learners in underserved communities.
The donation is aimed at addressing transportation challenges faced by students who travel long distances to access training facilities.
The 100 bicycles, valued at $230,000, were donated by Trans-Saharan Industries for distribution to students, particularly girls, in 10 schools in the northern part of the country.
At a ceremony to present the bicycles, the Director of TVET at the Ministry of Education, Rejoice Danquah, expressed her appreciation to Trans-Saharan Industries for the generous and timely intervention.
She said the initiative aligned with the government’s broader agenda to transform TVET into a dynamic, industry-responsive and skills-driven system.
Collaboration
Ms Danquah said the collaboration between the Ghana TVET Service and Trans-Saharan Industries demonstrates how partnerships between industry and education could enhance teaching, learning and employability outcomes.
She explained that the integration of hands-on assembly and practical skills training reflected a shift towards competency-based and production-oriented learning in TVET institutions.
For his part, the Director-General of the Ghana TVET Service, Dr Eric Kofi Adzroe, said the programme sought to address a critical challenge facing many learners, particularly in rural communities, where distance limits access to education.
He explained that the issue was not a lack of willingness to learn, but the difficulty of getting to school, stating that for many young people, especially girls, distance determined attendance, affects performance, and in some cases cuts short their educational journey.
Dr Adzroe said the BEEP was intended to be practical, targeted and transformative.
He stated that the goal was to assemble and distribute 20,000 durable bicycles annually to remove a key barrier to education.
Impact
The Chief Executive Officer of Trans-Saharan Industries, Gerald Acheamong, described the programme as an instrument for transformation rather than just a bicycle initiative.
He explained that in many rural communities, students walked between five and eight kilometres to school, often arriving exhausted, which affects their ability to learn and increases the likelihood of dropping out.
He said the provision of bicycles would reduce absenteeism, improve retention and ensure that students, particularly girls, remain in school.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
