At the International TVET Conference held from 9–11 September in Nairobi, Kenya, policy leaders, industry experts, and development partners gathered at the Mövenpick Hotel & Residences to deliberate on strategies for aligning technical education with dynamic labor market demands.

​A central highlight of the conference was Ghana’s systematic overhaul of its technical and vocational education system. Representing the Commission for TVET (CTVET) Ghana, Kwame Zu, Deputy Director-General (Operations), shared Ghana’s key achievements in elevating TVET into a primary engine for industrial growth and youth empowerment.

​In his address during plenary discussions on regional qualification frameworks and TVET transformation, Kwame Zu detailed how Ghana shifted public perception, standardized training, and scaled infrastructure to build a future-ready workforce.

​Key Remarks from Kwame Zu

​*”For years across Africa, vocational training was treated as a secondary option. In Ghana, we have deliberately dismantled that narrative through institutional reform, massive infrastructure investment, and policy alignment. TVET is no longer a fallback plan—it is Ghana’s primary strategy for economic industrialization and sustainable employment.”

​”Through the implementation of the National TVET Qualification Framework (NTVQF) and the expansion of Competency-Based Training (CBT), we are ensuring that a skilled artisan in Ghana meets the exact standards required by modern industry, locally and internationally. Our focus is to bridge the gap between classroom instruction and workplace requirements so that every graduate leaves with proven, job-ready competencies.”*

​Highlights of Ghana’s TVET Success Story

​Ghana’s presentation showcased several operational milestones that have reshaped its technical education landscape:

• ​Free TVET Initiative: Ghana integrated TVET into its Free Senior High School (SHS) policy, removing financial barriers for hundreds of thousands of students pursuing technical pathways across public technical institutes and vocational centers.
• ​Competency-Based Training (CBT) Standardization: Under CTVET’s regulatory oversight, learning curricula have been systematically transitioned to CBT models, ensuring training programs are directly designed with input from Sector Skills Bodies (SSBs) to match real industry needs.

• ​Modernization of Technical Institutes: Major capital investments have modernized laboratories, workshops, and testing centers in institutions across the country, equipping students with state-of-the-art tools for agriculture, automotive engineering, digital tech, and industrial maintenance.
• ​Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Ghana’s RPL framework has mainstreamed informal apprenticeships, granting formal certification and trade validation to skilled artisans and informal sector workers who lacked traditional academic credentials.