AIRTAD: Future workforce depends on stronger STEAM focus – Dr. Apaak

Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Abas Apaak says Ghana’s future workforce hinges on a stronger, practical focus on STEAM education.

Delivering a keynote address at the Impact Roundtable Discussion and Robotics Competition (AIRTAD) at the University of Ghana, Dr. Apaak stressed that education reforms must align with global shifts in technology and industry.

“This year’s theme, ‘Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce Through Education and Innovation,’ speaks directly to the choices we must make today,” he said. “The question is not whether the future will arrive; it is whether our learners will be ready to lead it.”

Dr. Apaak explained that Ghana’s education agenda now places strong emphasis on STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics — not as isolated subjects but as an integrated, practical approach to learning.

“We are working to ensure that STEAM is not treated as isolated subjects, but as a practical approach to learning; one that builds curiosity, problem-solving, creativity, teamwork, communication, digital literacy, and the confidence to test and refine ideas,” he stated.

According to him, strengthening STEAM is central to preparing students for emerging opportunities across sectors.

“When we get STEAM education right, we produce graduates who can design solutions for agriculture, health, sanitation, energy, transportation, fintech, manufacturing, and the creative economy,” Dr. Apaak noted. “We also produce job creators.”

He revealed that the government intends to introduce a SmartStart Curriculum to deepen the integration of coding, digital literacy and technical and vocational education into basic schools.

“This government intends to initiate a SmartStart Curriculum for greater integration of STEAM, coding, digital literacy, and TVET into basic education,” he said.

Dr. Apaak added that innovation must be nurtured through hands-on, collaborative learning platforms such as AIRTAD, which connect classroom knowledge to real-world challenges.

“As we reflect on the theme, let us remember: the workforce we desire will be built by the education system we strengthen, one classroom, one teacher, one learner, one project at a time,” he said.

He maintained that sustained investment in STEAM education will determine how effectively Ghana positions its young people for the future world of work.