Leadership backbone of TVET transformation in Ghana – Dr. Apaak

Deputy Education Minister Dr. Clement Apaak says strong institutional leadership is central to Ghana’s efforts to transform technical and vocational education and training.

According to him, the success of Ghana’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) reforms depends not only on infrastructure and equipment, but also on the quality of leadership within institutions.

Dr. Apaak made the remarks at the launch of the TVET Leadership and Management Training Workshop organised under the Singapore–Africa Partnership Leading to Growth and Sustainability (SAPLINGS) Programme.

Addressing participants, Dr. Apaak said leadership development must remain a priority if Ghana was to build a modern and competitive TVET system capable of meeting the demands of a changing economy.

“The success of every TVET institution depends not only on infrastructure and equipment, but also on the quality of the people who lead those institutions,” he stated.

He added that principals and administrators played a critical role in shaping standards, implementing policies, building partnerships and motivating both staff and students.

“For this reason, investing in leadership development is just as important as investing in physical infrastructure,” the Deputy Minister stressed.

Dr. Apaak explained that Ghana’s vision for TVET was focused on creating “a skilled, innovative, and globally competitive workforce capable of driving industrial growth, creating jobs, and responding effectively to the demands of a rapidly evolving economy.”

He commended the Government of Singapore for partnering Ghana through the SAPLINGS Programme to strengthen the leadership and management capacities of TVET institutions.

The 10-day training programme is being facilitated by senior experts from Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education and will focus on institutional governance, quality assurance systems, curriculum delivery, staff development and industry engagement.

The workshop, hosted in collaboration with the Ghana TVET Service and Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE), brought together principals, administrators and TVET institutional leaders from Ghana and across West Africa.

Dr. Apaak said the programme also reflected the growing importance of regional cooperation in skills development across West Africa.

He urged participants to actively engage in the sessions and apply lessons learned within their institutions to improve training quality and graduate employability across the TVET sector.