The Design and Technology Institute (DTI) has held an industry-academia roundtable to strengthen collaboration among academia, industry, the public sector and development partners.
The event, held in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, aims to close the persistent skills gap by aligning Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) with labour market needs.
The roundtable, on the theme “Market-responsive TVET Systems through Collaboration,” seeks to promote TVET systems that equip graduates with skills directly relevant to industry.
The DTI aims to develop actionable strategies through the dialogue to boost national workforce development and economic growth.
Through improved partnerships, DTI’s seeks to ensure TVET graduates are job-ready, with the technical and soft skills needed to thrive in the workplace.
Insights from the discussions will feed into workforce development strategies and inform human capital initiatives by public institutions such as the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) and the Ministry of Employment and Labour, and Youth Development and Empowerment.
Closing the gap
The Founder of the DTI, Constance Swaniker, underscored the importance of bridging the disconnect between academic training and real-world work requirements.
Drawing on her experience in the creative industry, she highlighted the need for practical learning pathways.
"I recognise the importance of soft skills and I recognise the importance of having an open mind growth mindset, things that nobody prepared me for, what it would take as I began my journey in the industry,” she stated.
Ms Swaniker described the DTI as a “social experiment” borne out of her desire to fix the flawed transition from education to employment.
The institute combines academic instruction with industry practice, offering a new model of learning that meets market demands.
She stressed the value of continuous learning, upskilling and developing soft skills such as adaptability and communication. Internships, exposure to industry settings and a flexible educational model were also advocated as crucial components for modern career readiness.
Ms Swaniker ,therefore, called for education systems across the country, particularly in Africa, to become more responsive and flexible, highlighting the urgent need to address the country’s high youth unemployment through skills-based training and innovation.
Survey
The Project Coordinator at the DTI, Mohit Sharma, shared several key insights from the DTI's industry partner survey evaluating student performance during six-month apprenticeships.
Mr Sharma revealed that 66 per cent of DTI learners were retained by host companies after their apprenticeships and that employers praised students for their strong theoretical knowledge and commendable soft skills.
Despite this, he explained that the survey exposed challenges such as employers reporting that while students had solid academic foundations, they lacked hands-on skills, familiarity with tools and appropriate workplace behaviour.
"Some of them had good theoretical knowledge, but got more practical experience from us,” Mr Sharma quoted from employer feedback, highlighting the need for more practical training.
He added that industry partners also cited deficiencies in communication skills, commitment levels and adaptation to workplace culture.
Despite these challenges, he said most partners expressed a willingness to continue partnerships and support gender inclusion, seeing potential in DTI's holistic education approach to preparing students for the job market.
Skills anticipation
An Economist at the Department of Economics, University of Ghana, Professor William Baah-Boateng, underscored the importance of skills anticipation in equipping the workforce for future demands.
He called for a deeper, symbiotic relationship between academia and industry, urging educational institutions to consult industry players when designing curricula and training programmes to ensure relevance.
Prof. Baah-Boateng advocated academics to gain hands-on experience within industries to keep pace with emerging trends.
In turn, he encouraged industry to invest in research and development to support innovation.
