TVET enrolment rises by over 8% nationwide – Dr. Apaak

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Apaak, says enrolment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions has increased by more than eight percent nationwide.

Dr. Apaak disclosed this on Wednesday after touring selected Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Accra during ongoing final examinations for students in the sector.

The Deputy Minister visited the Accra Technical Training Centre and the Opportunities Industrialization Technical Institute (OITI), where he interacted with candidates, instructors and officials supervising the examinations.

According to him, the increasing number of students choosing TVET as a career path was encouraging and reflected growing confidence in technical and vocational education across the country.

“We are excited because we are seeing an increase in the number of students who are opting for TVET as their line of academic and professional pursuit,” he said.

“The data indicates that from last year’s numbers we are seeing an upsurge of slightly above eight percent,” Dr. Apaak added.

He stated that about 61,500 students nationwide were currently sitting for the examinations, describing the figure as a positive sign for Ghana’s future workforce development.

“So let me use this to wish the candidates well and to thank their instructors, tutors and parents for helping to prepare them for this moment,” he said.

Dr. Apaak encouraged parents and students to consider TVET programmes, stressing that technical and vocational skills were essential to national development and industrial growth.

“We believe that to develop as a nation, we need to emphasize, promote and encourage more of our young people to take up TVET,” he noted.

He pointed to countries including Japan, Singapore, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Germany and the United States as examples of nations that invested heavily in technical and vocational education to drive economic progress.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted government efforts to strengthen the sector, referencing commitments captured in the National Democratic Congress’ 2024 manifesto.

He said Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu had already taken steps to advance TVET development, including securing a five-million-euro grant from Italy dedicated to the sector and advocating parliamentary approval for the proposed TVET Fund.