Ghana has been urged to rethink how Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) prepares its trainees for the world of work and business.
A UNICEF report on the Skills Supply and Demand Side Assessment: A Situation Analysis of the Ashanti Region reveals equipping TVET graduates with work-ready and 21st-century skills is no longer optional.
These skills are critical for their survival in today’s job market and business environment.
The study uncovered that 71% to 90% of graduates from informal apprenticeships start their own businesses after training. Unfortunately, many of these starters struggle with the very basic skills needed, such as business management, financial literacy, leadership, teamwork, and work ethics, that could make or break their ventures.
The development partner, identifying this gap, is recommending that this is where the system needs a bold pivot. By fusing entrepreneurship training with literacy and numeracy skills, and layering on modern competencies such as professionalism, problem-solving, and communication, apprentices can transform from job seekers into confident job creators.
Going further to answer the obvious question of how this can be done, UNICEF explained that formal Technical Institutions (TIs) should collaborate with the informal apprenticeship sector, ensuring that graduates don’t just learn a trade. They must also acquire the mindset and tools to sustain businesses or secure wage employment.
“With 71% to 90% of graduates from informal apprenticeships starting their own businesses after graduation, it would be advantageous for the informal sector to collaborate with TIs that offer entrepreneurship training programmes and literacy and numeracy instruction as part of the 21st Century skills package essential for business performance,” portions of the report remarked.
UNICEF further called on the stakeholders to “introduce work readiness programs that focus on leadership, teamwork, professionalism, and work ethics to enhance the employability of youth, supporting both wage employment and self-employment ventures.
Should this proposal be adopted and implemented, a young seamstress will not only master her craft but also understand marketing, pricing, customer service, and digital tools to scale her brand.
Or a trained auto-mechanic who applies teamwork and leadership skills to build a service hub that employs others.
It is widely propagated that this blend of practical trade skills with 21st-century competencies could unlock Ghana’s youth potential, reduce unemployment, and energize local economies.
