And Training In Ghana

Government has expressed its determination to totally overhaul technical and Vocational education and training in Ghana recognising the opportunities that exists in that sector in the development of the country.

The Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, Hon. Mahama Ayariga said this during the launch of the document:"From Prejudice To Prestige:Vocational Education and Training in Ghana" in Accra. The document was done under he auspices of Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) and City and Guilds.

According to him, the challenges in vocational education in Ghana are enormous and calls for serious policy adaptation and the establishment of a system that will address career progression in our educational sector from primary to the university level.

COTVET he said, is working in partnership with stakeholders to develop curricula for basic, SHS, tertiary and other training areas to reform the educational sector, in terms of certification for the academic and professional level, he added.

He noted that a middle income economy should be training efficient technical and vocational personnel so as to propel the industrial sector to the extent that Ghana would also be able to export labour to other countries.

On his part, the Executive Director of the COTVET, Mr Dan Baffour Awuah called for synergy between government policies and the active role of Government Ministries Department and Agencies as well as stakeholders.

He said, City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development in collaboration with COTVET carryied out the research in the bid to recognise the inherent value of vocational education and training for socio-economic development and its contribution to the ongoing development and competitiveness of the Ghanaian economy.

He further stressed that, in order for recent policy changes to have the desired impact there is the need for COTVET to develop a firm understanding of the issues affecting those engaged with vocational training. This research provides a valuable insight into these issues, highlighting some of the positive elements of the existing system but also some stark challenges and misrepresentations which, if left unaddressed, will be a severe constraint to unleashing the talent of Ghana’s youth and driving positive change in the future.

He added that the government of Ghana through the Skills Development fund (SDF) is supporting small, micro, medium and large institutions for training and development of skills in several sectors through grants.

The launch of the document was done by Mr Joshua Mallet, Member of the Skills Development fund Committee under the chairmanship of Ms Eva Lokko,a former Director General of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.