When you mention TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) in Ghana, many still picture dusty carpentry workshops or metal filing in the back of a classroom.
But today’s TVET is no longer about “hammer and nails” — it’s about drone technology in agriculture, solar panel installations, automotive mechatronics, precision welding for oil rigs, and even coding for artificial intelligence systems.
If that doesn’t sound like the future, what does?
TVET promise: Jobs, skills, dignity
In a country where about 1.2 million young people are in the labour market, but only a fraction secure formal employment, TVET is a lifeline.
Youth Development Minister George Opare
Addo highlighted that approximately 1.2 million Ghanaian youth aged 15-35 face unemployment or underemployment, with the situation deteriorating to include those in insecure informal jobs, bringing the figure for those underemployed or in unstable work to approximately 38.8%.
The minister made this statement at the recent matriculation and induction of beneficiaries for the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) in Kumasi (Modern Ghana, August 22, 2025).
Unlike traditional academic tracks that often produce graduates with degrees but little job readiness, TVET graduates tend to move straight into work — or better still, create jobs for themselves and others.
From roadside electricians who keep our lights on, to fashion designers turning local prints into international brands, TVET isn’t just an educational option.
It’s a national survival strategy.
Yet, despite the opportunities, enrolment has historically been low.
A study published online at researchgate.net noted that female participation in TVET hovers around 12–15%, constrained by social perceptions that technical work is “men’s work.”
In other words, while young men are busy hammering, welding and wiring, too many young women are subtly told to “leave the spanners to the boys.”
A training regime in transition
Thankfully, Ghana is in the midst of a TVET revolution. The government, backed by the World Bank’s Ghana Jobs and Skills Project, is investing more than $200 million in upgrading technical institutes, building modern workshops, and aligning curricula with 21st-century industry demands.
Key features of the new regime include:
Competency-Based Training (CBT): Learners are assessed on practical skills, not just theory
National Apprenticeship Programme: Bridging informal apprenticeships (such as hairdressing and carpentry) with formal certification.
Industrial Partnerships: Technical universities collaborating with industries under “1D1F” to produce graduates who can walk into factories and contribute from day one.
Digital Integration: E-learning platforms now complement hands-on training, expanding access to remote areas.
National TVET Qualifications Framework (NTVETQF): This ensures smooth progression from certificate to diploma and degree, ending the “dead-end” myth about vocational education.
Dual Leadership: The Commission for TVET (CTVET) regulates standards, while the TVET Service delivers training across public institutions.
Curriculum Upgrade: Beyond traditional trades, new areas include ICT, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing.
Under the new regime, the TVET Service has intensified stakeholder partnerships with industry, ensuring training matches job market needs; capacity-building for trainers, because you can’t teach 21st-century welding with 20th-century methods; and outreach programmes to demystify TVET for parents and students, shifting it from “last resort” to first choice.
The success of Ghana should not be written in chalk on blackboards only, but in sparks from welding torches, in stitches from sewing machines, and in codes from computer labs.
Challenges remain
Of course, challenges persist. Many TVET institutes still operate with outdated equipment. Employers complain that graduates sometimes lack soft skills such as teamwork and problem-solving.
And then there’s the stubborn stigma: some parents still believe that TVET is for “school dropouts,” ignoring the fact that Germany’s enviable economy is powered by TVET-trained Mittelstand, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or industries.
But mindsets are shifting. A growing number of middle-class parents are proudly enrolling their children in TVET institutions, especially in fields such as renewable energy and ICT.
Employment: Local industries in construction, energy and ICT are desperate for skilled workers.
Entrepreneurship: Many TVET graduates start small businesses — from auto-mechanic shops to beauty salons — and employ others.
Global Demand: Skilled workers are highly mobile. Ghanaian artisans are already filling labour shortages in Canada, Germany and the Middle East.
Industrialisation: Initiatives such as One District, One Factory (1D1F) cannot succeed without a skilled TVET workforce.
The road ahead
If Ghana gets TVET right, the payoff is enormous: reduced youth unemployment, increased industrial productivity, and a generation that sees dignity in skills.
Imagine Accra not just importing engineers but exporting them.
Imagine Tamale and Ho producing world-class solar technicians and aviation experts, respectively, for West Africa.
Imagine Kumasi’s artisans building not just wooden furniture but high-end, export-ready brands.
As one witty TVET student in Takoradi quipped: “After all, when your light goes off, you don’t call a theorist — you call me, the electrician!”
And he’s right. TVET is not just about tools.
It’s about dignity, relevance and building the future with our own hands.
That, in essence, is the opportunity.
TVET is not Plan B. It is Plan A for Ghana’s future.
James Attah Ansah is an educationist and author
Email: esem1ansah@gmail.com
Website: https://jaansahpublications.com
Engr. Dr Eric Kofi Adzroe is the Director-General of Ghana TVET Service
Email: eric.adzroe@gtvets.gov.gh
Charles Ekornunye Ansah is a Member of The Chartered Institute of Tax Law and Forensic Accountants-Ghana (CITLFAG), and a Head of Accounts of Ghana TVET Service.
Email: ekornunye@gmail.com
