The Vocational and Technical Education Department (VOTEC) at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), together with UNESCO-UNEVOC, has commemorated the 2025 World Youth Skills Day.  

The event brought together educators, students, and industry players to discuss how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies were shaping the future of skills training, employment, and innovation - particularly for Africa’s youth.

Coordinator for UNESCO-UNEVOC at UCC, Dr. Mrs. Christina Boateng, emphasized the need to prepare young people not only for today’s job market but also for the evolving digital economy. 

According to her, “We give AI education to individuals so they can be productive. Further, if we are preparing people for economic development, we cannot leave out AI because that is where the world is going.”

Coordinator for UNESCO-UNEVOC at UCC, Dr. Mrs. Christina Boateng

Highlighting the urgency of equipping the next generation with future-ready skills, she called on lecturers and facilitators to embrace the opportunity to blend manual skills with digital competence. 

“We are developing our youth for the future,” she said. “Your future is in your own hands and at your fingertips.”

Delivering the keynote address, a former Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Professor Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, offered a compelling vision of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. “It is not in the distant future—it is here. AI and tech are already transforming industries,” he said. 

He warned that while AI will create millions of new jobs, it will also make many existing ones obsolete. “What we teach and what the job market demands don’t match. Brilliant students are being taught like it’s still 2015,” he cautioned.

Prof. Ampiah urged educators and students to understand AI not just as a tool, but as a collaborative partner. “I use ChatGPT to plan lectures. It’s not just about using it—it’s about harnessing it,” he explained. 

Former Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Professor Joseph Ghartey Ampiah

He distinguished digital skills (knowing what and how to use tools) and digital literacy (understanding why, when, and for whom the tools should be used). He stressed that in the AI age, lifelong learning, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking were more important than ever.

Another speaker, Dean of the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment at Takoradi Technical University, Prof. Gladys Quartey, shared her journey in Wood Science and how AI supported her academic research.

 “AI helped me analyse the mechanical properties of wood fibers,” she noted, urging participants to develop both digital literacy and caution. “AI never forgets. Be careful what you post online so it doesn’t come back to haunt you.”

She encouraged students to learn basic computing, use search engines wisely, and be aware of AI errors or "hallucinations." She also called for urgent digital and AI training for teachers, emphasizing that vocational training should be future-oriented. “Vocational jobs are not low-skilled—they are different skills that must collaborate with technology,” she said.

Dean of the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment at Takoradi Technical University, Prof. Gladys Quartey

The event also showcased innovation through a mini business launch by Level 300 VOTEC students. Two startups—Denim Revival, focused on sustainable fashion, and Dine with Gem, a food services concept—demonstrated the practical application of vocational training and entrepreneurial thinking.

The celebration of World Youth Skills Day at UCC reaffirmed the University’s commitment to future-ready education. The message was clear: digital transformation is no longer optional - it is essential. To prepare Africa’s youth, every curriculum must include AI, coding, and digital literacy, empowering learners to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

One of the stands at the exhibition displaying a petrol injectrion system

There was an exhibition also held to display the creative prowess of students. On display were clothes, footwear, and artifacts, among several others.

Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC