COTVET: Building capacity through the National Apprenticeship Programme
Long before European adventurers introduced formal systems of education in the then Gold Coast in the 14th century, Africans had been undergoing training through apprenticeship systems.
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Apprenticeship is a form of training where master crafts persons impart their knowledge and skills to a new generation of practitioners through on-the-job training.
Depending on the trade being learnt in Ghana, apprenticeships last between one and four years. Typically, an apprentice pays a master crafts person an agreed training fee and receives training in return. Apprentices also act as a cheap form of labour for their masters and will normally work long hours, six days a week.
Apprenticeship in Ghana is closely linked to the informal sector of the economy and by some accounts responsible for equipping over 85 per cent of the workforce with relevant skills. Carpentry, masonry, auto mechanics, hair dressing, welding, garment making, cosmetology, plumbing, electronics and leatherworks are some of the areas in which apprenticeship is heavily utilised.
Hands-on experience
The key advantage of the traditional apprenticeship system is that it provides trainees with hands-on experience, putting them in good stead to open workshops of their own to provide valuable services to the economy and society.
The traditional apprenticeship system has also served as a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of youth who, in most cases, are unable to make meaningful progress in formal education, giving them an opportunity to become useful citizens.
In spite of the critical role the traditional apprenticeship system plays in the economy through the training of skilled labour and the provision of employment and valuable goods and services, it was a largely neglected and unregulated sector of the economy riddled with several challenges.
The quality of training passed on to apprentices often depended on the skill set of the master craftsperson, and his/her willingness to pass on the knowledge.
Bad professional practices
Some apprentices were also exploited and in some cases abused by unscrupulous masters who treat apprentices like servants rather than trainees. In many cases bad professional practices and unethical behaviour have been passed on from master to trainee.
Many master craftspersons have also been unable to upgrade their skills and have found themselves overtaken by technological innovation, leading to the undesirable situation where outdated methods are passed on to trainees.
It is with these challenges in mind that the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) launched the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) in December, 2010.
Like many initiatives of its kind, NAP is designed to provide skills to Ghanaian youth between 16 and 24 years who for one reason or the other have been unable to continue their education after JHS.
The NAP is, however, unique in the sense that it also aims at improving and strengthening the structures of the traditional apprenticeship system to make it relevant to the modern economy.
Selection process
Beneficiaries of the NAP are selected by District Education Offices through an open application process, presented with the necessary tools and equipment and linked to selected master crafts persons in their chosen area of training through executives of the various trade associations.
Masters go through a screening process to ensure that they have the capacity to take on apprentices and have been practicing their trade consistently at an appreciable standard.
COTVET then facilitates the signing of a Memorandum of Partnership between the master and apprentice with the consent of parents or guardians, to ensure that the rights of the apprentice are protected and the training delivered within the agreed timeframe.
Structured training
Trainees under the NAP undergo a more structured form of training than the traditional apprenticeship system which allows them to learn more in a shorter period of time.
In order to guarantee the quality of training imparted to apprentices, several training of trainer workshops have been organised for master crafts persons nationwide, exposing over 3,500 of them to current industry trends, book keeping practices, customer service practices, ICT skills, health and safety standards as well as business ethics.
Over 5,000 apprentices have also been trained in garment making, cosmetology, welding and fabrication, auto mechanics and electronics in 70 selected districts since November, 2011.
Thus far, the COTVET-NAP has demonstrated that properly structured and packaged, apprenticeship training has the potential to attract the youth and harness their dynamism and innovation for national development.
Contact Details
Secretariat:
P. O. BOX M 651, Ministries,
Accra, Ghana.
Office Location: Adjacent to Chartered Institute of Bankers, East Legon, Accra.
Tel : +233 (0)31 229 1964
Email: [email protected]
www.cotvet.org