By: Kekeli K. Blamey
Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah, Director-General of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), is advocating for the adoption of Ghana’s Sector Skills Bodies (SSB) model to drive skills development in Africa.
He believes this model ensures Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions align closely with the industries they serve, thereby addressing the continent’s growing unemployment challenge.
Speaking at the Africa Skills Week (ASW) in Accra, Dr. Asamoah emphasized that TVET education is crucial for tackling unemployment.
The ASW, hosted by the Government of Ghana and organized by the African Union (AU), aimed to improve systems, processes, and policies to drive skills development across Africa.
Ghana has taken the lead in advancing technical and vocational education, and Dr. Asamoah noted that the government has implemented significant reforms in the TVET sector over the past seven and a half years.
Key initiatives included the introduction of Free TVET, Competency-Based Training (CBT), and the Ghana Jobs and Skills Project.
These reforms, he said, aim to make technical education accessible and attractive to young people, aligning training with industry needs to prepare graduates for a rapidly evolving economy.
Dr. Asamoah stressed the importance of international cooperation, interregional partnerships, and strengthening Centres of Excellence to foster innovation ecosystems.
“Ghana is committed to the United Nations Education Science and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)’s TVET strategy for 2022-2029, promoting excellence, lifelong learning, and social inclusion,” he explained.
Dr. Asamoah invited global partners to join Ghana in shaping a future where skills drive sustainable development.
The Sector Skills Bodies model has already shown promise, with the inauguration of SSBs for Agriculture, Construction, and Tourism & Hospitality in 2019.
