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The government has invested GH¢6 billion in the development of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the last seven-and-a-half years.
The investment was channelled into the expansion of infrastructure, provision of modern equipment for technical institutions and the creation of skills development centres.
Consequently, over 100,000 young people have been trained through various apprenticeship programmes introduced by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education Training (CTVET).
It is part of an initiative by the government to enhance TVET and equip many young people with the skills, knowledge and attitudes required to unearth the potential of the industry.
Speaking at a workshop on TVET with focus on the livestock value chain in Accra last Tuesday, the Director in charge of Animal Production Directorate at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Jonas Berchie, stated that the commitment of the government towards developing TVET education was evident in the level of investment made since 2017.
“Ghana has made significant strides in recent years in developing its TVET system because the Akufo-Addo-led government believes that this direction is key to the country’s industrialisation.
“The government’s commitment in developing the TVET space is evident to the level of investment made since its inception. Since the year 2017, over GH¢6 billion investment has been made in TVET education,” he said.
Mr Berchie said the potential of the country’s livestock value chain could not be fully realised without access to quality technical and vocational education. He said the livestock sector in Ghana was a vital source of income and livelihood for a large part of the populace.
In 2020, the livestock sub-sector contributed 8.31 per cent to Ghana's agricultural gross domestic product. It is a sector with massive potential and the capacity to alleviate poverty.
He said a vibrant livestock sector had the potential to create jobs for women and the youth, as well as propel other economic activities. “The sad reality, however, is that the potential of the livestock sub-sector is made dormant by challenges which are complex and multi-faceted,” he said.
The Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Tom Norring, expressed the commitment of the Danish government to support Ghana in the development of the TVET system. “In Denmark, we have a very well developed TVET system. And so, we can inspire transfer of knowledge and technology to ensure sustainable growth,” he said.
He added that the Denmark Embassy in Accra had been building the capacity of entrepreneurs and businesses to grow and become profitable.
The workshop, which is an initiative of the Global Farming and Technology Institute (GFTI) and Dalum Academy in Denmark, is to provide detailed understanding for the TVET ecosystem within the livestock value chain.
It was on the theme: “Enhancing skills and innovations in the livestock value chain: exploring TVET opportunities for sustainable growth”. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GFTI, Kwame Brefo Koduah, said the workshop was designed to share information on the TVET options by a comparison of TVET options in Denmark and Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on the country.
“Dalum presented successful case studies of partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa. GFTI shared the Ghana case study and collaboration goals, including an overview of training delivered in December 2023,” he added.
