The Akufo Addo-led government in 2017 established Sector Skills Bodies which are made up of industry players and academia that have been joined together under a common structure to drive growth and competitiveness across the sector.
The groups aim to focus on the exploration of business opportunities, innovation, and capacity needs within the sectors.
The sector skills bodies play a leading role in the development of TVET curriculums and standards generation in the TVET sector.
In addition to this, the Akufo-Addo-led government would this year outdoor the next 5-year strategic plan for Technical and Vocational Education, and Training [TVET] transformation Policy.
The policy transformation which will kick off from 2023 to 2027 would be focusing on many things digitalization of the sector, the licensing and professionalization of TVET graduates, and innovation.
The Director-General of the Commission for TVET (CTVET), Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, who announced this at a press briefing, Tuesday in Accra, said that the Commission was working on creating a sustainable TVET financing mechanism with the enhancement of the Ghana Skills Development Fund established by President Akufo-Addo’s Government.
According to him, “our biggest activity will be to oversee the implementation of the modified dual TVET. As part of the regulatory mandate of the Commission, monitoring mechanisms will also be institutionalized with tracer studies in the TVET institutions, especially in the Technical Universities.”
He said as part of the first five-year strategic plan for TVET (2018-2022), Government established the Ghana Skills Development Fund with some $60 million seed fund under the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project, adding that the first call for proposals led to to 643 full proposals requests out of which 490 full proposals were submitted.
He said to address the issues of a skills mismatch between training institutions and the industry they have conducted a skills gap analysis and audit of ten (10) economic sectors and these reports are available on the website of the Commission for TVET and can be accessed by all training institutions and the industry.
He said the survey is even more critical in a time of accelerated technological development when industries globally keep on transforming and TVET is at the centre of providing the skills needed for industries, employability, and enhancement of livelihoods.
He added that the government has invested massively in TVET over the last five years.
‘’The upgrading and modernization of all the erstwhile 34 National Vocational and Technical Institutes (NVTI’s), Head Office together with 10 Regional Offices, 5 apprenticeship offices across the country, and the Opportunity Industrialization Centre in Accra comprising of the Construction, Rehabilitation, and Equipping of Laboratories, Workshops, additional Classrooms, Hostels, Administrative Offices supported with some 123 million euros was completed and inaugurated in July 2020’’.
‘’Also, two (2) New Foundries and machining centres, one in CSIR (Accra) and the other at KNUST, Kumasi were completed last year’’.
“Construction of five (5) new District TVET centres of excellence is ongoing with that of Anyinam and Pakyi No. 2 near completion whiles that of Assin Jakai and Akomadan at various stages of completion, among others.”
Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah further noted that this year, the Commission will be organizing the Zonal Skills Competition and the National Skills Competition in addition to the National TVET Expo and Awards 2023.
“We would like to call upon industry, development partners, and corporate organizations to support these activities to make them successful. These activities are aimed at raising the profile of skilled people and enhancing the capacity of our TVET institutions to deliver world-class training to our learners.”
However, he urged all the TVET providers and institutions which are yet to be accredited by the Commission, to comply with the law to contact the Commission for modalities on how they can be registered and get accredited.