Ghana’s efforts to tackle youth unemployment and drive entrepreneurship have received a significant push, with government announcing receipt of a US$5million grant from the Italian government to lift the country’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector.
Revealed by Deputy Chief of Staff, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo, during the World Youth Skills Day 2025 dailogue at the Accra Technical Training Institute (ATTI) Dome in Accra, she said the grant will be used to expand access to practical, job-ready skills for young Ghanaians – a move which aims to accelerate the country’s broader industrialisation and economic transformation agenda.
“The grant secured by the Education Minister is critical for equipping more young people with employable skills and promoting entrepreneurship across the country and will go a long way to directly enhance ongoing skills development programmes,” the Guest of Honour noted.
She further highlighted that the National Apprenticeship Programme has officially commenced this year, with 10,000 young people already enrolled.
“With the backing of a GH₵300million allocation in the 2025 national budget, the programme offers hands-on training and monthly stipends to participants – ensuring both accessibility and retention,” She added.
She noted the global TVET market was valued at US$679billion in 2023 and is set to nearly double to US$1.43trillion by 2030 – and charged Ghanaian youth to be part of this growth.
Ms. Bampoe Addo also reaffirmed government’s commitment to resetting Ghana’s workforce by moving from the classroom to construction sites, from textbooks to tools and from curriculum-based theory to hands-on field-ready expertise.
She added that government will see to the integration of technology like AI, robotics and data science into training and pledged that girls, young persons, persons with disabilities and those staying in the rural areas will all have equal access to these opportunities.
Delivering the keynote address, Haruna Iddrisu, Minister for Education, underscored the urgent need to reframe national perceptions of TVET and recognise it as a vehicle for transformation.
“TVET is not a second option. It is a first-class solution to unemployment, underemployment and the future of decent work. It is also our policy and agenda to reform the TVET system and integrate emerging digital skill sets. With Artificial Intelligence taking over and changing learning in classrooms and how business is being done, it is imperative to incorporate same into our developmental agenda for TVET,” he declared.
He further announced plans to scale the National Apprenticeship Programme, providing free technical training, certification and start-up support for young artisans across various trades. The programme, he noted, will also feature a Business Growth Apprenticeship module – designed to help graduates transition from trainees to employers.
The event, held under the theme ‘Youth Empowerment Through AI and Digitalisation – The Role of Technology in Hands-On Skills for the Future Workforce’, also witnessed the National TVET Week’s official launch – a flagship initiative designed to reposition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a critical lever for Ghana’s industrialisation and youth empowerment agenda.
The Director-General of Ghana TVET Service, Dr. Eric Kofi Adzroe, in his remarks also emphasised the dual celebration’s importance – describing the launch of National TVET Week on World Youth Skills Day as both timely and symbolic.
“The National TVET Week celebration, ladies and gentlemen, is positioned to enhance the image and perception surrounding technical education, strengthen national awareness and trust in TVET, promote Competency-Based Training (CBT) nationwide, deepen industry-academia-learner collaboration, encourage female enrolment and gender mainstreaming and position TVET for international partnerships and funding.”
He further emphasised the power of partnerships and importance of rebranding TVET beyond outdated stereotypes and noted that TVET must also evolve.
“It is no longer sufficient for TVET systems to merely respond to changes in the labour market; rather, they must become proactive, forward-looking engines of innovation. We must build agile TVET frameworks that can anticipate emerging trends and equip learners with the competencies needed for the jobs of tomorrow,” the Director underscored.
The event concluded with a strong call for support from corporate organisations, development partners and donor agencies toward National TVET Week 2025, which promises to be a nationwide celebration of skills, creativity and opportunity.
Also, the celebration formed part of broader collaboration objectives with development partners like the Pact for Skills: Support to the Transformation of the TVET System in Ghana project co-financed by the German Development Cooperation (BMZ) and European Union – implemented by GIZ, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Commission for TVET and Ghana TVET Service.
