Ghana signs TVET skills partnership with Dubai-based firm

The Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment has entered a new partnership with Dubai-based Dual Vocational Education Consulting FZCO to reform Ghana’s technical and vocational education system.

The agreement seeks to place industry at the centre of skills training and better align education outcomes with labour market demand.

The agreement, sealed following high-level discussions between Labour Minister Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo and Prof. Dr Rolf J. Eichhorn, founder of the Dubai-based consulting firm, is intended to reshape how vocational skills are developed and applied within Ghana’s labour market.

According to Dr Pelpuo, the central issue confronting Ghana’s skills system is not access to education but the disconnect between classroom training and real employment opportunities.

“Our challenge is the transition from learning to work,” he said. “If we continue to train young people without strong links to industry, we risk producing skills that are not relevant to the labour market. This partnership is about ensuring that skills development leads directly to decent jobs.”

The Minister explained that the scale of youth unemployment demands a rethink of how competencies are identified and taught, particularly as new technologies and industries emerge. He stressed that the pace of change means government institutions cannot single-handedly define the skills needed for modern workplaces.

“Industry must be at the centre of curriculum design, workplace learning and assessment,” Dr Pelpuo added. “The private sector knows best the skills it needs today and those it will need tomorrow.”

Prof. Dr Eichhorn said the partnership reflects global evidence that employer-driven training models deliver stronger outcomes. Drawing from Germany’s dual vocational education system and reforms implemented in the United Arab Emirates, he noted that industries increasingly dictate training standards in response to automation, digitalisation and shifts such as electric mobility.

“Education has to be proactive, not reactive,” he said, citing multinational firms that regularly reshape curricula by redefining their workforce needs.

Under the MoU, Ghanaian industries are expected to play a direct role in shaping training content, ensuring that programmes reflect local economic realities while meeting international quality benchmarks. Officials say the collaboration is designed to produce a more flexible, demand-driven TVET system capable of equipping young people with skills that are both employable and future-ready.