DTI Founder calls for human capital investment to drive economic growth
The Founder of the Design and Technology Institute (DTI), Constance Swaniker, has stressed that Ghana’s future economic growth will depend on skilled human capital rather than its natural resources.
Speaking at DTI’s fifth annual National Precision Quality Conference in Accra on the theme: “Human Capital at the Heart of Ghana’s Economic Growth,” Ms Swaniker said Ghana risks losing its competitive edge unless deliberate investments are made in developing precision skills to match global standards.
Currently, only 30 per cent of graduates transition into jobs aligned with their training, while over 80 per cent of the workforce remains in the informal sector with low GDP contributions.
“Africa’s youth dividend could either propel the continent into prosperity or plunge it into crisis, depending on how it is managed,” she cautioned, drawing parallels with Singapore where consistent investment in human capacity, not natural resources, drove transformation.
She called for a collective national effort involving government, private sector, academia and civil society to create opportunities, uphold consistent training standards and equip young people with the digital, cognitive and problem-solving skills needed for the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Productivity
The Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Dr Abdul-Rashid Pelpuo, said Ghana was pursuing a comprehensive human capital development framework to improve labour productivity and enterprise competitiveness.
He described productivity as the key to global competitiveness, noting that a skilled and efficient workforce would attract investment and improve living standards.
He said the Ghana apprenticeship programme and skill development initiatives are central to equipping young people with market-ready skills and preventing unemployment while calling for collaboration between government, industry and educational institutions.
“This is a collective effort; it is not something the government can achieve alone. It requires the dedication of our industry leaders, our educational institutions and every single citizen,” he added.
The Acting Director General of National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Audrey Smock Amoah, emphasised the need to develop a comprehensive human capital development strategy.
She noted that the country's future prosperity depends on strategically investing in its people's knowledge, skills and competencies, particularly in addressing the current skills mismatch between education and industry demands.
"We cannot afford to train our youth for yesterday's jobs. We must anticipate and prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow,” she said.
Survey
A macroeconomist and economic statistician, Dr Ebo Duncan, who gave insights into the country’s human capital, revealed significant deficits in precision quality training across Ghana’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.
About 70 per cent of TVET principals rated their laboratory and ICT resources as poor or very poor, with many institutions relying on outdated equipment updated only once every six to 10 years.
Dr Duncan warned that such constraints severely undermine hands-on learning and graduates’ readiness for high-quality industrial and manufacturing roles.
He proposed the creation of a National Precision Quality Framework, jointly developed with industry stakeholders, to harmonise training standards and strengthen continuous professional development for instructors.
He further advocated targeted investments in technology-driven learning environments such as virtual labs and simulation software to bridge resource disparities and equip learners with the precision skills needed to boost productivity, enhance exports, and compete effectively under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
