At Ghana’s 2025 TVET Pitso summit in Gabrone, Botswana, Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu emphasized the noteworthy advancements and achievements of the country’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) transformation.
The President of the Republic of Botswana, Duma Gideon Boko, formally launched the event, which was co-hosted by the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) of Botswana at Ba Isago University.
On Thursday, July 10, the minister spoke at the event about the importance of developing human capital in order to meet the changing demands of the contemporary workplace.
He recognized the common historical TVET issues that many African countries confront, such as skepticism from the public, a lack of funding, and trouble matching training to industry demands.
“TVET is no longer a path reserved for the less academically inclined or a punishment for non-conformist youth. Today, TVET is the backbone of national development. It is our government’s top priority for industrialisation and job creation.”
The Minister gave an overview of Ghana’s significant investments and strategic plans to address youth underemployment and unemployment. Three new technical universities with specializations in digital engineering, agricultural engineering, and applied healthcare sciences have been established as part of the major changes. These universities will offer a range of programs from short courses to Bachelor of Technology degrees.
In addition, Ghana has implemented important reforms to improve STEM education and dispel unfavorable perceptions about technical and vocational education.
The Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020, which established the Commission for TVET (CTVET) to oversee, encourage, and create national policies for skill development, was passed as a result of these efforts. In order to guarantee industry-led curriculum development and directly meet labor market demands, Sector Skills Bodies (SSBs) were also established.
The Ghana TVET Service, which is in charge of public pre-tertiary TVET institutions and focuses on industry-led, demand-driven, competency-based training, was created by the Pre-Tertiary Education Act 2020 to further improve the sector. TVET enrollment in Ghana has increased dramatically as a direct result of these intentional initiatives, rising from over 42,000 students in 2018 to over 235,000 in the 2024 academic year.
Haruna Iddrisu emphasized the significance of encouraging gender inclusion in TVET career options and urged all stakeholders to support Botswana’s HRDC effort through money, technical assistance, and partnerships.