Ghana’s TVET Sector: A New Report Spotlights Key Challenges

New assessment highlights a mismatch between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and industry needs in Ghana's Ashanti region.

Accra, Ghana – 28 August 2025 – In a significant step to strengthen the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector, UNICEF Ghana, in partnership with the Government of Ghana, commissioned a comprehensive study in the Ashanti region. The research was conducted to assess the skills offered by public and private TVET institutions and compare them with the skills demanded by the private sector.

The key finding of the assessment is a mismatch between the skills employers require and those that job seekers possess. This results in an oversupply of certain trades and a critical shortage of others.

Significant gaps were identified in several areas:

- Curriculum misalignment: Curricula often don't align with industry demands. For example, in Agriculture, a dominant sector in the Ashanti region, the TVET system is woefully underserved. Only one of the 57 pre-tertiary TVET institutions offers training in agriculture, despite a high demand for agro-processing skills. Similarly, in ICT, despite rising demand, only four out of 57 institutions offer related training.

- Perception gaps: The study revealed that while employers cited weak practical and soft skills among graduates, the graduates themselves rated their preparedness more positively.

- Infrastructure strain: The increase in enrollment due to free TVET education, while encouraging, is overwhelming infrastructure and undermining the effectiveness of Competency-Based Training (CBT), compromising the quality of delivery.

The study employed a mixed-methods approach, including institutional visits, employer surveys and interviews across key sectors (agriculture, ICT, manufacturing, and construction), and stakeholder consultations with educators, past students, and policymakers. This comprehensive methodology allowed for a nuanced understanding of both the supply and demand sides of the skills ecosystem.

A few of the findings were:
- On the supply side:
- Fashion design and garment is the most offered trade, while green technology and advanced IT are the least.
- Infrastructure and equipment are inadequate and stretched to support growing enrollment.
- Soft skills training is largely absent from formal instruction.
- CBT accreditation in private institutions is higher than in public institutions.
- On the demand side:
- Employers reported difficulty finding candidates with job-ready skills, practical experience, and soft skills.
- Workplace Experience Learning (WEL) is offered and supported but bears risks for employers.
- There is a high demand in sectors like agriculture, ICT, and construction, with an insufficient skilled labor supply.

Ghana is among the countries in Africa projected to benefit from a demographic dividend, with a burgeoning youth population poised to drive economic growth. However, this potential may not be realized due to high unemployment, persistent job insecurity, and limited job opportunities. TVET has emerged as a key pathway to equip young people with relevant skills for the labor market if harnessed strategically and aligned with industry needs.

While the study made several recommendations, a collective effort across the sector and increased investment in TVET are required. Only then can Ghana fully leverage its demographic dividend for sustainable economic growth.

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Editor's Note:
A few of the findings were:

On the supply side:
- Fashion design and garment is the most offered trade, while green technology and advanced IT are the least.
- Infrastructure and equipment are inadequate and stretched to support growing enrollment.
- Soft skills training is largely absent from formal instruction.
- CBT accreditation in private institutions is higher than in public institutions.

On the demand side:
- Employers reported difficulty finding candidates with job-ready skills, practical experience, and soft skills.
- Workplace Experience Learning (WEL) is offered and supported but bears risks for employers.
- There is a high demand in sectors like agriculture, ICT, and construction, with an insufficient skilled labor supply.