TAPPITA— The Tappita Vocational Training Institute has opened a temporary campus in the Tappita Community, Lower Nimba County, and has launched an academic enrichment program to prepare incoming students for full-time classes, the institute President Dr. Yar Donlah Gonway Gono announced Friday, August 28.
By Franklin Doloquee
The announcement came during a combined delegatory and groundbreaking ceremony for a duplex housing unit and the expansion of the Jackson Fiah Doe (JFD) Hospital Emergency Room Annex.
Dr. Gono said the temporary opening follows a period of renovations and intensive recruitment designed to establish practical vocational training that complements existing local programs, including those run by the JFD Referral Hospital.
“We started renovations at a temporary location in the Tappita Community and have now opened the school to students who were recruited and tested,” Dr. Gono stated.
“When we realized many students needed additional academic preparation, we developed this enrichment program to ready them for the official opening soon.”
Programs and enrollment
The institute will offer six programs at launch: automotive technology, carpentry, electrical technology, allied health, laboratory technology and radiography (medical imaging).
The courses target high school graduates from Tappita, surrounding districts and other counties who currently lack access to nearby vocational training.
Tappita’s central location in Nimba County makes it a convenient regional hub, officials said.
Applicants have come from across the region, including Grand Gedeh and Grand Cape Mount Counties, reflecting widespread demand for skills-based training.
To date, the institute has distributed 800 application forms and received roughly 300 completed registrations. Of those, about 156 high school graduates are currently enrolled in the tutorial enrichment program.
The enrichment program provides intensive, short-term academic support in Mathematics, English, Technical Reading and basic science to ensure students meet prerequisites for hands-on vocational instruction.
It also includes orientation sessions on workplace safety, student codes of conduct and expectations for practicum placements.
Staffing and facilities
Institute leaders say most staff positions have been filled, including department heads, instructors and administrative personnel. Temporary classrooms and workshop spaces have been fitted with basic tools and equipment to begin training, while plans continue for permanent facilities and expanded labs.
Officials described the temporary campus as a mix of renovated community buildings and newly constructed simple classrooms and workshops.
Dr. Gono expects phased upgrades as funding and partnerships come online, including construction of specialized labs for radiography and laboratory technology and a purpose-built automotive workshop.
Partnerships with Jackson Fiah Doe Hospital
Dr. Gono emphasized the importance of a partnership with Jackson Fiah Doe Hospital for the allied-health programs.
“We are depending on Jackson Fiah Doe Hospital as the referral hospital that people in Nimba and beyond rely on,” a representative said.
“Training allied-health students locally, with Jackson Fiah Doe Hospital (JFD) partnership for practical placements and mentoring, will benefit the community, the county and the country.”
Under the partnership, allied-health and laboratory students will complete supervised clinical attachments at Jackson Fiah Doe Hospital (JFD).
Hospital staff will provide mentoring, assessment of practical skills and input into curriculum relevance to ensure graduates meet local healthcare needs.
Regional workforce development
Speakers at the ceremony pointed to past collaborations, including training partnerships that supported geology and mining education at Nimba University as models for workforce development that aligns training with local industry demands.
“We know it’s difficult work, but it can be done,” institute leaders said.
“Students trained here will augment human-resource needs across sectors while improving lives in their families and communities.”
Local impact and next steps
Community leaders at the event welcomed the institute, saying it will create employment opportunities, reduce youth unemployment, and supply skilled technicians and health assistants to local businesses and health facilities.
Several small business owners and representatives from county government attended the ceremony and pledged support for student internships and apprentice placements.
The institute is now accepting final registrations ahead of its full-term opening. Officials say they will continue recruitment outreach in schools and neighboring counties and are seeking additional funding and equipment donations to accelerate construction of permanent training facilities.
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