Accra, Aug. 13, GNA-The Design and Technology Institute (DTI), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has graduated and certified 1,593 Master Craft Persons (MCPs) and Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) owners under its Precision Quality™️ (PQ) programme.
The graduation aims at advancing a broader agenda to strengthen productivity, formalisation, and pathways to dignified work within Ghana’s informal economy.
The graduating cohort comprised 1,307 women (82%) and 286 men (18%), including 68 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
The ceremony, held in Accra under the theme “Formalising the Informal Sector: Honouring Excellence in Skills, Enterprise and Transformation,” brought together approximately 1,700 participants, including government, industry, development partners, community leaders, graduates and their families.
The Accra graduation is the first of three ceremonies, with 528 participants expected to graduate in Ho on 19 August and 2,639 in Kumasi on 26 August, bringing the total number of MCPs and SMEs graduating across the three cities to 4,760 in 2026.
Beyond training individuals, DTI’s approach is focused on addressing structural challenges within Ghana’s informal skills and enterprise ecosystem by connecting skills development, quality standards, certification, business formalisation, financial inclusion, enterprise growth, apprenticeship and market access.
The initiative contributes to Ghana’s broader Human Capital Development agenda by strengthening the country’s apprenticeship ecosystem and improving the capacity of MCPs and SMEs who play a critical role in training young people and creating employment within their communities.
Through the Precision Quality™️ programme, participants receive training in entrepreneurship, business management, workplace safety, customer relations, digital literacy and financial management.
Importantly, participating master craft persons have apprentices or young workers attached to their enterprises, enabling improvements in quality and business practices to cascade to the next generation of skilled workers.
All 1,593 graduates received Precision Quality™️ Certification alongside support for business registration with the Office of the Registrar of Companies (ORC), bank account opening, and linkages with relevant trade associations and industry networks.
Complementary services from institutions including Fidelity Bank, MTN Mobile Money and the Food and Drugs Authority further connect participating enterprises to financial services, digital platforms and product certification.
This integrated model seeks to create a practical pathway through which informal enterprises can become more productive, visible, bankable, compliant and connected to larger economic opportunities.
Addressing the gathering, Ms Constance Elizabeth Swaniker, Founder and President of DTI, said the graduation represented much more than the award of certificates.
“Today is not simply about recognising skilled artisans and entrepreneurs. It is about helping businesses become visible, trusted and ready for larger opportunities. Formalisation enables enterprises to access finance, compete for contracts, create jobs and contribute more significantly to national development.”
Drawing from her own experience as a former carpentry apprentice, Ms Swaniker highlighted the importance of combining technical competence with strong enterprise systems.
“I started as an apprentice in a carpentry workshop and later registered my business as a one-woman enterprise. That decision opened opportunities that would otherwise have remained out of reach. Skill alone is powerful, but skill backed by structure, documentation and standards creates sustainable growth.”
As part of the programme, 241 outstanding MCPs and SMEs were competitively selected to receive Business Scale-up and Apprenticeship Support Kits valued at US$250 each, representing a total investment of US$60,250.
Selection was based on six criteria: 100% Attendance; Potential to Scale; Enterprising Capability; Willingness to Engage a Minimum of Three Apprentices; Ease of Post-Training Tracking; and Willingness to be Inclusive in Hiring Apprentices.
Of the 241 beneficiaries, 41 are Persons with Disabilities, reinforcing the programme’s emphasis on inclusive economic participation.
Beneficiaries span fashion and garment production, hairdressing and beauty, catering and food, electricals and electronics, welding and fabrication, printing and ICT.
The kits are designed not only to strengthen individual businesses but also to expand their capacity to engage apprentices, creating a multiplier effect through which enterprise support translates into skills transfer, youth employment and livelihood opportunities.
Speaking on behalf of the Mastercard Foundation, a representative highlighted the shared commitment to expanding dignified and fulfilling work opportunities for young people, particularly young women.
“Through Young Africa Works, we believe that entrepreneurs, artisans and small business owners are central to Africa’s economic transformation.
By investing in skills development, enterprise growth and formalisation, we are creating pathways for young people to participate meaningfully in the economy and build sustainable livelihoods.”
The ceremony also marked the launch of the PQ MCPs and SMEs Alumni Association, creating a platform for continued networking, mentorship, peer learning and engagement beyond the training programme.
The initiative reflects DTI’s broader systems-level approach to TVET and workforce development: strengthening the institutions, enterprises and master craft persons through which skills are transferred; embedding quality and standards within the informal economy; linking enterprises to formal systems; and creating sustainable pathways from skills development to work, productivity and economic participation.
Through this approach, DTI and the Mastercard Foundation are working beyond individual training outcomes towards a stronger and more inclusive ecosystem in which Ghana’s informal enterprises can formalise, grow, improve productivity, create jobs and develop the next generation of skilled workers.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade