STAFFING ------------------------

The teaching staff of the department comprises four (4) MSc. holders in Wood Technology and Management, one (1) instructor (HND graduate). The department also has a Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) volunteer, who lectures in furniture design.

For demonstration and practical works, ten (10) technical staff, namely, wood machinists, carpenters, sprayers, an upholsterer and a saw doctor, are engaged to manage the departmental workshop.

PROGRAMMES/COURSES ------

The programmes being run currently include HND in Furniture Design and Production and Advanced Furniture.

THE WORKSHOP -----------------

The HND in Furniture Design and Production takes cognisance of the national human resource needs and aspirations for the tertiary wood processing sector. The course therefore aims to educate and produce graduates with the requisite and relevant technical, problem-solving and decision-making skills for the furniture and joinery industry.

To achieve this agenda, the department has a well furnished workshop with the basic wood working machines and very experienced staff, to give students hand-on training. In addition, students are given the opportunity to do at the end of each academic year, practical training in firms of repute in the furniture and joinery industry.

The workshop also provides basic furniture and joinery for the Polytechnic community.

RESEARCH ------------------------------

The department has put forward to management an ambitious national anthropometric survey initiative designed to determine human body sizes and characteristics in Ghana for use by designers in the furniture and clothing industries. It would be preceded by a pilot survey using the polytechnic students as the sample population.

INCOME GENERATION ---------------

The workshop generates extra income from the machining, assembling and finishing services provided to contractors, carpenters and individuals with adequate publicity. We hope to earn more for the department and the polytechnic.

CHALLENGES --------------------------------

The major challenge that faces the department is that of attracting second cycle and technical students to join the HND programme.

The department has therefore embarked on an outreach programme to secondary schools and technical institutions to explain to potential students what the course is all about and the benefits one can get in choosing furniture design and production as a career.

PLANS ----------------------------------

The department is one of the beneficiaries of the TALIF fund (USD 190,000) and as such, plans are far advanced to procure and install state of the art wood working machinery and equipment and Solar Kiln Dryer to enhance the practical skills of the students in the department.

The department is also benefiting from a second Talif fund of USD 20,000 for new drawing equipment and tools meant for improving the drawing and design skills of the students.