Industry Advisory Committees
Kumasi Technical University
In 2020, Kumasi Technical University (KsTU) participated in national benchmarking with Vitae 360° Assessment – sponsored by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). The goal of this initiative was to better prepare students for the labor market and stabilize career opportunities for graduates across Ghana. As a result, in 2022 KsTU launched industry advisory bodies at the program level across its departments. These bodies are also known as program advisory committees (PACs).
- 85% of university departments committed to starting a PAC
- By 2023, the university created 63 industry advisory partnerships
- To date, the university has engaged 96 active PAC members
As a result of industry involvement and PACs, the university was able to provide students with job placement, access to work-integrated learning (WIL), and professional mentorship. The university also received dozens of donations in materials, equipment, and time in form of seminars, mentorship, and hands-on training.
In an interview with IFC, leaders from Kumasi Technical University and members of the Program Advisory Committees (PACs) share how the PACs have enhanced the university’s employment strategy and helped to secure accreditations.
This interview was conducted with Prof. Abena Obiri-Yeboah, Pro Vice-Chancellor, and Michael Adu Kumi, Senior Assistant Planning Officer and Head of the Quality Assurance Unit, at Kumasi Technical University. Additionally, Simon Annan FCIPS, President of the Ghana Institute of Procurement and Supply, and KTSU advisory committee member.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Program advisory committees, also known as industry advisory committees, are volunteer groups of external industry experts advising university programs to boost student outcomes. Each program typically has its own PAC.
Q. Why create program advisory committees?
A. Following IFC’s assessment, we needed a mechanism for industry players to bring their expertise to us and explain what they were looking for in terms of skills and knowledge. That way we could incorporate their input into our curricula and better prepare graduates to enter industries.
We began by training the heads of departments and explained the benefits of having PACs and encouraged each department to set them up. 23 of 27 departments participated. It was huge!
Q. Did you face obstacles in setting up the PACs?
A. Yes, due to the nature of the work, we sometimes needed experts on campus to discuss curriculum development or to observe if students in labs were using industry best practices. Initially, the university did not budget for the expense of bringing them in, but we eventually gained their support.
We also needed to convince members that joining was important to the university and to student employability. We emphasized that at the end of the day members were helping the nation, industry, and the institution.
Another issue was that some of the staff would end up nominating PAC members who were their friends or relatives. Those members would go the extra mile, but if there was a change in leadership it would become difficult to retain those members. Since then, we’ve made a huge push to recruit members that are alumni. They tend to have a greater commitment and love for the Institution, so the Vice-Chancellor is pushing for us to have a strong departmental and university-wide alumni relations.
Q. Simon, as a member of the industry, why did you join this advisory body?
A. As a member of the KsTU Program Advisory Committee, I have been part of the Institution’s impactful work in enhancing the practical skills and employability of its graduates. This work is inspiring as it ensures the academic programs meet industry standards and prepare students for a dynamic job market. My decision to join the advisory body was driven by a desire to contribute to this important mission.
Q. Was there a regulatory benefit to establishing PACs?
A. Yes, the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission requires us to show evidence that our programs have been examined and approved by industry experts before we can offer them to students. Before PACs, it was more difficult to prove we met their requirements. There was a lot of back and forth, and sometimes our applications were rejected. PACs reduced the time we needed to go through the accreditation process because members analyzed the issue immediately and ensured the program followed industry standards. On the other hand, this helped the University match the formal, mandatory accreditation requirements to real-world industry examples.
Q. Are there other notable outcomes of the PACs?
A. There are several. In the Department of Estate Management, PAC members began organizing seminars for the students. We’ve had several placements, attachments and even jobs, especially for students in the procurement and supply chain management program, agricultural and automotive engineering departments. We’ve also had a few donations. Results like this are something we track, so our programs can continue to get budgetary support.
Q. What can you share about your use of KPIs, industry advisory feedback, and surveys?
A. Data is powerful. It provided the evidence we needed to make many changes. One thing we discovered that we were losing students because of program names, as with the Bachelor of Technology. The degree was not well understood by students or employers. We changed the degree name to Bachelor in Engineering, added more specialties in engineering, automotive, mechanical, and civil electrical, etc. The education authority was emphatic that name changes must match the curricula and be specific. This is where PAC members’ insights were critical. As a result, we now offer a Bachelor of Science/Engineering in a number of engineering departments.
Q. Was it difficult to gather data from so many departments?
A. It’s not too difficult, but if we leave it to the departments, they won’t log it, so we try to collect their data every semester.
Q. Did PACs impact the university’s reputation?
A. It is early days, but as an administrator I can see the impact. At this point, it is difficult to tell whether the students also see positive changes. We need more data to measure the impact of PACs on student and graduate employability in years to come.
Q. Do you have any other advice?
A. For the PACs to work, the university management must be in full support. They must be willing to provide the necessary funds. Everybody must participate and commit fully.
Alignment to Industry
The Ghana Tertiary Education Council (GTEC) participated in Vitae’s 360° Assessment to strengthen the employability of their public technical universities across the nation. Their inspiring belief that every educational foundation should be grounded in employability leads their students to have greater confidence when answering the question, “What’s next after graduation?”
Areas of focus for the Kumasi Technical University, one of the participants in Ghana’s national assessment, resulted in decisions to create a career services center and alumni office, program advisory committees, a strategic partnership with industry, and a center of excellence for their lecturers. Ghana’s technical universities will ensure their students are better able to keep up with changing market demand, serving as an example of what other ministries can achieve by adopting Vitae, in Africa and beyond.
“We think it’s a very very excellent program it is one that is re-awakening the whole tertiary educational enterprise. One of the most important things, relative to the work of Vitae or IFC, has to do with their coming from outside. I think this is something that is going to be revolutionary, and is something that is going to change the educational landscape of this country.”
Dr. Ahmed Jinapor
Government Regulator & Deputy Director-General
Ghana Tertiary Education Council (GTEC)
About Vitae
An innovation of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, Vitae helps higher education institutions develop pathways to improve graduate employability and outcomes. Our tools offer a data-driven approach for institutions to identify their relative strengths and weaknesses while evaluating themselves against a global benchmark of best practices.
