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Ghana’s informal sector, long driven by traditional apprenticeships, is receiving a vital upgrade through the Ghana TVET Voucher Project (GTVP)—a joint initiative between the Government of Ghana and the German Government, supported by KfW.
This transformative project is equipping artisans with modern skills, formal certifications, and a clear path to economic advancement.
During a recent field visit to the Northern Region, Mr Albert Opare, Head of Corporate Affairs at the Commission for TVET (CTVET), toured three GTVP-supported centres: Dabokpa Technical Institute, Tamale Community Development Vocational and Technical Institute (CDVTI), and Modern Star Integrated School. His mission was to engage with trainees, trainers, and master craft persons and assess how the project is reshaping technical and vocational education.
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Over 90% of Ghana’s workforce acquires skills through informal apprenticeships. But while this system has sustained employment for decades, it lacks modern equipment, standardised instruction, and formal certification—key gaps that have limited mobility and recognition for many artisans.
The GTVP aims to fill those gaps. By introducing Competency-Based Training (CBT) in accredited institutions, the programme offers a modular, hands-on approach that blends classroom instruction with workplace training. Trainees emerge with National Proficiency Level I or II certificates—qualifications officially recognised within the National TVET Qualifications Framework.
“I never thought I’d be certified for the work I’ve done all my life,” a master craftsperson at Tamale CDVTI said. “But now I feel respected, professional, and ready to grow my business.” An apprentice added, “The safety training has made my workshop safer. And now I know my skills can take me further.”
Training providers also praised the project for enhancing their operations. Beyond financial aid, the GTVP encouraged them to complete accreditation processes with CTVET, ensuring higher standards and regulatory compliance. “The project has professionalised our institution,” said a representative from Dabokpa Technical Institute. “We now meet national education standards.”
Mr Opare stressed that GTVP is more than just a skills programme—it’s a national reform agenda. “We are building a bridge between informal learning and recognised qualifications,” he said. “This is modernising Ghana’s apprenticeship system and bringing the informal sector into the national policy fold.”
He further noted that the project is supporting the development of a centralised database of TVET stakeholders and contributing to the financial sustainability of accreditation services. “With more institutions registering and CBT expanding, we’re laying the foundation for long-term, system-wide reform,” he added.
As GTVP expands across Ghana, it is helping to elevate informal work to formal recognition—offering artisans dignity, opportunity, and a renewed confidence in their craft. The project stands as a bold statement that no skill is too small to be certified and no artisan too informal to be empowered.
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