By D.I. Laary
Kukurantumi (E/R), June 19, GNA – Government is considering allocating 10 per cent of annual Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) resources to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as part of broader reforms aimed at addressing youth unemployment, strengthening workforce skills and expanding technical education infrastructure.
Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu announced the proposal on Wednesday at the commissioning of a girls’ dormitory at St. Paul’s Technical Institute in Kukurantumi, where he also disclosed plans to establish a dedicated TVET Fund to provide sustainable financing for the sector.
The proposal signals a significant policy shift towards technical education at a time when government is seeking to equip young people with industry-relevant skills and reduce unemployment through skills development.
“Technical and vocational education is the surest way to mitigate unemployment and underemployment,” Mr Iddrisu said.
“If Ghana is to succeed in addressing its growing youth population, the answer lies in increased investment in technical and vocational education.”
The Minister said government recognised that inadequate financing remained one of the biggest constraints facing the sector, affecting infrastructure development, training equipment, instructional materials and skills delivery.
To address the challenge, he said government was considering earmarking 10 per cent of annual GETFund allocations for TVET while pursuing additional funding sources to support long-term sector growth.
“This government, President Mahama’s government and leadership, will dedicate to this country a TVET Fund in the coming days to provide speedy and sustainable resources to finance TVET,” he said.
The proposed reforms come against the backdrop of increasing demand for technical skills across industry, manufacturing, construction, technology and renewable energy sectors.
Mr Iddrisu argued that Ghana’s economic transformation agenda would depend largely on its ability to develop a workforce equipped with practical and employable skills.
The Minister also announced that the World Bank had approved a 300-million-dollar facility to support secondary and technical education development nationwide.
According to him, the funding will support school rehabilitation, expansion of educational infrastructure and the construction of between 10 and 13 new secondary schools across the country.
He further pledged government support for additional infrastructure development at St. Paul’s Technical Institute, including the construction of an assembly hall and other priority projects identified through a needs assessment.
Development partners welcomed the renewed focus on TVET financing but stressed the need for sustainable and predictable funding.
Representing the German Ambassador to Ghana, Ms Chantel Lahmer, Policy Advisor at the German Embassy, said infrastructure investments alone would not be sufficient to transform technical education.
“The long-term success of TVET also depends on sustainable financing. Quality training requires reliable sources for equipment, maintenance, teaching materials and instructors,” she said.
She noted that countries seeking to build competitive technical education systems must ensure consistent investment in training facilities and learning resources.
The girls’ dormitory commissioned at St. Paul’s Technical Institute was funded through the Ghana Skills Development Initiative with support from the European Union and the German Government.
The facility, powered by solar energy and supported by biodigester technology, is expected to improve accommodation conditions for female students while promoting environmentally sustainable infrastructure.
Speaking to journalists, Ms Gisela Spreitzhofer, Team Leader for Governance and Security at the European Union Delegation to Ghana, said investment in TVET remained essential for improving employability and supporting economic growth.
She said the European Union’s interventions in the sector sought to strengthen the entire TVET ecosystem and prepare young people for opportunities in emerging industries.
At the institutional level, education authorities say increased financing could help address longstanding infrastructure deficits that limit access and quality.
Mr Teye-Bi-Teye Agualey, Principal of St. Paul’s Technical Institute, said the school had faced accommodation challenges for years, forcing female students to occupy teachers’ bungalows because of the absence of a dedicated dormitory.
The new facility, he said, would improve student welfare while creating a more conducive environment for teaching and learning.
For stakeholders, the proposed allocation of GETFund resources and the establishment of a dedicated TVET Fund represent a test of government’s commitment to repositioning technical education as a central pillar of Ghana’s job creation and industrialisation agenda.
If implemented, the reforms could provide the most substantial boost to TVET financing in recent years and reshape the sector’s role in preparing young people for the future world of work.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade