From Prejudice to Prestige: Vocational Education and Training in Ghana

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) plays a key role in Ghana’s economic and social development. Higher skills levels are required to boost productivity, underpin economic growth, and create opportunities for individuals. TVET is, however, poorly perceived in Ghana, often being seen as the reserve option for those unable to achieve the grades to enter into higher education. This has traditionally limited the numbers of young people going into vocational training, the funding for the sector and the quality of provision. Unless TVET begins to be seen as the important component of economic and social development that it is, a lack of skills will ultimately have serious consequences for Ghana’s economy. It is crucial, therefore, to understand the nature and dimensions of attitudes towards and perceptions of vocational education and training in Ghana, in order to develop interventions that will enhance TVET delivery, acceptance and market worth. With these issues in mind, the City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development (UK) and the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET – Ghana) approached the Centre for Social Policy Studies from the University of Ghana to conduct this research. The report explores the attitudes of key stakeholders, including learners, graduates, employers, trainers, parents and policy makers, towards TVET in Ghana and provides recommendations for policy makers to attempt to address some of the key issues facing the sector.