Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has stated that Ghana’s industrial and economic growth depends heavily on modernizing Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to make it responsive to the needs of industry and overall national development.
Delivering the keynote address at the official launch of the Ghana Apprenticeship Programme (GAP) in Accra on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 Dr. Bawumia said there is no better time than now for the country’s economy to bounce back from the shocks it suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global decline in economic activities, and a focus on TVET would accelerate the process.
“You will recall that during my Selfless Leadership and Bold Solutions for The Future speech at the UPSA a few weeks ago, I did mention Preparing a Workshop of the Future through enhanced focus on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as we build on our investment in the Sector.
“In line with this the NPP administration has since 2017, worked on and continues to implement a clear plan to industrialize Ghana, with one of the key pillars of the agenda being to revamp and modernize TVET to create more opportunities for economic empowerment and job creation, hence the Ghana Apprenticeship Programme.
“This comprehensive Ghana Apprenticeship Programme, endeavours to support Competency-Based Training (CBT) apprenticeship for a total of 50,000 individuals throughout the implementation period. The primary goal of GAP is to be the over-arching program that provides apprenticeship training tailored to the demands of contemporary jobs, fostering a bridge between traditional apprenticeship systems and modern employment requirements.
“The programme will facilitate a shift from conventional methods to a competency-based approach, ensuring that apprentices are equipped not only with theoretical knowledge but also with practical, industry-relevant skills. By modernizing the apprenticeship system, GAP strives to make it more adaptable to the evolving needs of industries, enhancing the employability of apprentices and contributing to the overall competitiveness of the Ghanaian workforce.
“The programme’s key activities encompass the development of eligibility criteria, training of Master Craft Persons (MCPs) and apprentices, assessment and certification of learners, linkage to job and trade,” he explained.
Additionally, the GAP has established voucher values which will continually be reviewed and adapted to the current economic needs of the private sector and training institutions, thereby bolstering the apprenticeship landscape in Ghana.
“With the Ministry of Education through the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) as the main implementing agency, the programme will be supported with a budget of Ghs800m, made up of US$40 million from the World Bank as well as €20 million Euros from the German Development Bank (KfW). The programme is also aligned with our development objective of advancing skills development and fostering job creation in Ghana.
“One distinct feature about this Ghana Apprenticeship Programme (GAP) is that the expected beneficiaries will include, unemployed/underemployed individuals seeking skills and jobs; high school graduates; university graduates and persons who have completed their national service, but want to be reskilled; master craft person, their apprentices and workers; cooperatives and trade associations, private enterprises and workforces; and private and public training providers.”
Free TVET
“TVET in Ghana is delivered in either the formal or informal sectors. Formal or institutional-based TVET is delivered by both the private and public TVET providers. Furthermore, a huge population of young people acquire employable skills in the informal economy through apprenticeships and other forms of informal sector skills training” he indicated.
“Indeed, long before the colonialists even set foot on our coasts, somewhere in the 14th century, the major mode of training which existed in Ghana was the apprenticeship system of training” he explained further.
Dr Bawumia disclosed that to date, over 157,000 students had enrolled in Government’s TVET institutions, well over the 20,000 who had enrolled prior to 2017.
“The total number of enrolments in Government TVET institutions stands at well over 157,681. The breakdown is as follows: 2021/2022 academic year had 47,000 new form one students enrolling; 2022/2023 had 50,200 new form one students enrolling and now, for the 2023/2024 academic year, we have 60,481 students enrolling unto the free TVET programme” Dr. Bawumia emphasized.
