Education Minister touts TVET achievements
The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu,last Thursday, extolled the significant strides and successes of Ghana's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) transformation at the 2025 TVET Pitso forum in Gabrone, Botswana.
The event, co-hosted by Botswana's Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) at the Ba Isago University, was officially opened by the President of the Republic of Botswana, Duma Gideon Boko.
Mr Iddrisu addressed the forum on the critical role of human capital development in meeting the evolving demands of the modern world of work.
He acknowledged the shared historical challenges many African nations faced in TVET, including public perception, limited investment and difficulties aligning training with industry needs.
"TVET is no longer a path reserved for the less academically inclined or a punishment for non-conformist youth.
"Today, TVET is the backbone of national development. It is our government's top priority for industrialisation and job creation," Mr Iddrisu stated.
Combating youth unemployment
The minister detailed Ghana's robust investment and strategic initiatives to combat youth unemployment and underemployment.
“Key reforms include the establishment of three new technical universities specialising in Digital Engineering, Agricultural Engineering and Applied Healthcare Sciences, offering diverse programmes from short courses to Bachelor of Technology degrees,” he added.
He said Ghana had also implemented significant reforms to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and to combat negative stereotypes associated with TVET.
Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020
“These efforts led to the enactment of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020, establishing the Commission for TVET (CTVET) to regulate, promote and formulate national policies for skills development.
“Additionally, Sector Skills Bodies (SSBs) were created to ensure industry-led curriculum development, directly addressing labour market demands,” the minister told the international audience.
Mr Iddrisu explained that to strengthen the sector further, the Pre-Tertiary Education Act 2020 established the Ghana TVET Service to oversee public pre-tertiary TVET institutions, focusing on industry-led, demand-driven, competency-based training.
As a direct result of those deliberate policies, he said Ghana had seen a remarkable increase in TVET enrolment, from approximately 42,000 students in 2018 to over 235,000 in the 2024 academic year.
Mr Iddrisu urged all stakeholders to support Botswana's HRDC initiative through funding, technical support and collaborations, emphasising the importance of promoting gender inclusivity in TVET career choices.
