Developing a plan for a competency-based training in visual art vocations for Senior Secondary School Graduates

One of the main objectives of introducing practical vocational programmes (particularly in visual arts) into mainstream education under the Education Reform of 1987, was to provide learners with skills and knowledge for employment, further education or occupational training. However, it is becoming evidently clear that this objective of providing learners with only initial school-based vocational education with the hope of getting permanent self- or paid-employment is unattainable. Few of the SSS Visual Art graduates (SSSVAGs) are admitted into highly competitive and limited places at the College of Art, U.S.T. At the Polytechnic level, few isolated and unstructured art-related courses are available for them. Nonetheless, there are no opportunities for further visual art occupational training for the majority of them who cannot gain admission into tertiary institutions. Additionally, Government policy or involvement such as a pilot post-SSS training programme to tackle this problem is non-existent. The study, therefore, sought to identify and determine, through documentation, the characteristics of selected visual art occupations namely, Basketry and Graphic Design. It also covered the employment setting and the practitioners in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. Supporting and participating organisations, institutions and ministries concerned with visual arts and vocational education were also identified. The data was consequently analysed, classified and verified into components such as: job titles, job descriptions, tasks, skill levels, competences, proficiency standards and job entry requirements. Other relevant characteristic elements that should be replicated in a competency-based, market-oriented vocational training programme for SSSVAGs were identified. Data from an analysis of documents related to the SSS curriculum and instruction as well as an assessment of selected SSSVAGs, were matched with occupational characteristics and job entry requirements. This comparison revealed the various omissions and deficiencies of the SSSVAVP and performances of the SSSVAGs in terms of competences for employment. For example, the graduates were deficient in design and execution. What they know or can perform fall below proficiency standard for employment as well as their occupational and educational level. Significantly, no SSSVAG was identified by the study as a self- or paid-employee in the private or public sector. Besides, employers are genuinely concerned that utcoines of vocational programmes such as the SSSVAVP are not directly relevant to the needs of industry. They are also unwilling to employ them for further on-the-job- training due to social and economic factors. In terms of visual art and vocational education, the inadequacies and ineffectiveness of the SSSVAVP, which is evident in the behaviour characteristics of the graduates, can be attributed to several variables. Some of them are due to the: - Model of vocational education that was used; - Lack of philosophy and effective policy framework based on up-to-date and relevant data from research and evaluation; - Lack of needs assessment of students, industry and employment characteristics; - Non-involvement of key visual art vocational educators, administrators and practitioners, supporting and participating organisations; - Wrong approach in content identification, selection and determination; - Omissions in the application of principles and criteria for vocational education, design and development of curriculum, instruction as well as evaluation; - Lack of funds, instructional materials and occupationally qualified teaching staff. Developing any plan to train the SSSVAGs should, therefore, put in place the modalities for: - Identifying sources of data for research or evaluation and using them as input for decision-making and policy formulation; - Identifying and using stakeholders, qualified persons for making policies and perform assigned roles effectively; - Identifying and taking measures concerning the vocational training programmes such as occupational surveys, needs assessment to establish feasibility and standards, objectives, curriculum and instructional content, evaluation and systems approach to C-B training; - Determining the characteristics the existing vocational programme, the graduates, employment setting, enterprises and practitioners; - Determining the inadequacies of the programme and graduates when matched with needs of employment; - Identifying the appropriate system and approach to vocational training and applying the principles and criteria in the design, development of curriculum and instruction, implementation and evaluation; - Using research data and curriculum design principles to correct identified deficiencies and align training programme to needs of society, learners and industry; - Identifying and replicating the positive aspects of occupation and employment characteristics in content and assessment measures; - Identifying and establishing, bodies, institutions, consortium of qualified experts to perform assigned tasks towards the intended, implemented and achieved curriculum of the programme; - Providing the SSSVAG with the opportunity for a suitable and effective post-SSS occupational training for employment upward and horizontal mobility.

Source: KNUST