The German government through KfW Development Bank in collaboration with the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) has instituted the National Apprenticeship Program to provide Competency Based Training (CBT) to about 50,000 individuals.
The National Apprenticeship Program is targeted at enhancing training at TVET institutions nationwide as the enrollment of students into these institutions has increased massively in the past years. The program aims to provide skills, upskilling, and reskilling to interested individuals.
Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, Director General of CTVET, indicated that due to the increase in enrollment, the TVET sector needs more investment in infrastructure and equipment to enhance learning and teaching activities hence the collaboration with KfW Development Bank will provide solutions to these issues.
“The good news is that Ghanaian youth have generated the interest to acquire skills and that is what has to be focused on. Government is saying that we have to make sure that all these people are either upskilled, reskilled, or skilled to be able to fall into one of the sectors. Everything comes down to skilling the people to take over and that is where the National Apprenticeship comes in”.
Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah
Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah indicated that the National Apprenticeship Program will not be a short-term project like the Ghana Voucher project. He stated that the program will be established into a system that the country has in place to feed both the job market and the industry while venturing into other newer fields.
He also detailed that the training will ensure that trainees are linked to industries that they can take over by constantly replenishing the workforce. He added that the approach to training to be introduced through the program will boost employment and economic growth.
He further disclosed that the Ghana Voucher TVET project that was implemented between 2018 and 2023 provided training for over 19,000 apprentices and master craft persons. He stated that the government is currently conducting a survey to determine how many of these trained people are employed and how their acquired skills have contributed to their standard of living.
Objectives Of The Program
Moreover, Dr. Kyei Asamoah stated that the main objective of the program is to give unemployed graduates and employed graduates who want a career change an opportunity to acquire the required skills that make them employable in the local industry.
He further indicated that the program is being instituted in a way that ensures its continuity regardless of a change in government and leadership.
“The good news is that for the period this government has been in place, all the things we’ve taken to parliament as far as TVET is concerned we have enjoyed support from both sides of the aisle. We in Ghana have to have our own systems…the Ghana Apprenticeship Program is going to become a household name in years to come when we are even dead and gone”.
Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah
The Director General of CTVET also indicated that the program will give every Ghanaian an opportunity to be skilled in supporting local industries. He stated that he is doubtful any government, be it the NPP or the NDC, will scrap the National Apprenticeship Program taking into consideration its potential to contribute to the country’s economic growth.
He revealed that the government has committed a US$ 60 million fund to the program which is expected to kick start soon and the program is aiming to train a minimum of 50,000 individuals in the short term.
Furthermore, he indicated that the program will be implemented such that the trainees will spend two days in the classroom and three in the work field executing the practical aspects of what is being taught in the classroom. He argued that this approach to learning will ensure that students gain employment immediately after they graduate.
Accordingly, Dr. Asamoah indicated that based on international practice, the National Apprenticeship Program certifications will be categorized into HNDs, National Certificate One (1), and National Certificate Two (2) to meet international standards. He argued that ensuring that the certification meets international standards will create the opportunity for the youth to work out of the country.
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