A comprehensive survey conducted by the Vocational Training for Females (VTF) Programme has revealed that access to Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is expanding faster than institutional capacity, raising serious concerns about the quality of training being delivered to students across Ghana.
The findings were presented at a stakeholder forum held last Wednesday at the Ghana International Press Centre in Accra, on the theme: "The Promise and Reality of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Reforms in Ghana."
The event brought together policymakers, institutional leaders, industry representatives, development partners and other stakeholders to review the findings and generate recommendations for policy improvement.
Key Findings
The survey, which covered 14 out of the 16 regions and drew responses from 51 institutional leaders representing approximately one-quarter of Ghana's 256 TVET institutions, found that while leadership in TVET institutions remains strong, resources are severely lacking.
According to the report, 90 per cent of institutional leaders surveyed described their training equipment as inadequate, posing a serious threat to the effectiveness of the competency-based training (CBT) methodology currently being rolled out across the sector.
Presenting the findings, Emmanuel Adentwi Jnr, Project Officer for Training and Advocacy at VTF, said the free TVET policy had led to significant gains in enrollment and retention, but infrastructure has not kept pace with the growing demand.
"The free TVET policy is working. Enrollment and retention have improved, but not backed with infrastructure to keep up the pace," he stated.
Workplace gaps
On Workplace Experience Learning (WEL)—a key component of CBT that connects classroom learning to industrial practice—the report indicated that only 10 per cent of institutions recorded over 75 per cent completion rates among students. Forty-five per cent recorded between 50 and 75 per cent completion, while 35 per cent recorded between 20 and 50 per cent.
Mr Adentwi noted that many students complete their training without adequate exposure to real-world work environments.
"TVET leaders report that there is potential for WEL to flourish, but half of learners complete their required workplace experience. Many students have been trained in school with few opportunities to gain the required real-world work experience," he stated.
Employment challenges
On graduate employment, the survey found that more than half of institutional leaders reported that less than 50 per cent of their graduates secure employment within 12 months of completion.
Sixty-three per cent of leaders identified self-employment as the primary pathway for graduates, underscoring the need for stronger entrepreneurship training, business support and access to funding for TVET graduates.
"Our learners are not able to translate their qualifications into livelihoods," Mr Adentwi said. "That is a direct challenge to the value proposition for TVET. What will encourage a parent to send their child to TVET institutions is that they can get employed."
Government commitments
Speaking on behalf of the Director-General of the Ghana TVET Service, the Deputy Director in charge of Quality Assurance, Veronica Manu-Nartey, acknowledged the findings and reaffirmed the service's commitment to addressing the gaps.
"Reaching the gap between high-level policy and everyday classroom instruction requires continuous monitoring, sound quality assurance, and open lines of communication," she said.
The Deputy Director of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Mr Zakaria Abdul Rahman, announced that the government was setting up a dedicated Ghana TVET Fund to provide sustainable financing for the sector.
Mr Tsonam Akpeloo, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), who chaired the forum, called for stronger collaboration between TVET institutions and industry.
