Vocational Training reporting in Ghana: Another step forward

Data reporting as at the heart of all aspects of the bilateral cooperation with Ghana. With the country having published its first vocational training report in August 2022, the second report followed in April 2024, with specialist advice from GOVET.

At the start of 2024, the final work on the second Vocational Training Report was the focus of the VET cooperation with Ghana, for which GOVET provided specialist support on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). GOVET supported Ghanaian partners from the VET authority (Commission for TVET, CTVET) in all phases involved in compiling the report. These included determining the main themes, selecting authors, producing the survey instruments, collecting data, analysing data and finally producing the texts. Up to now, the focus of the data collection has been on primary data, e.g. number of pupil’s enrolled across the whole country. More complex indicators, e.g. regional distribution of pupils or breaking data down by training programmes, are still being developed.

In autumn 2024, the focus was on preparing the third Vocational Training Report. For this, CTVET decided to use “Kobocollect” – a modern and efficient survey tool. The team was supported by an external expert who had already proved very effective in previous training courses on the data management topic. The advice was provided virtually and laid the foundation for the ongoing development. The expert will work again in person with the team during the first quarter of 2025.

Events aimed at an expert audience and for the general public

Regular exchange and networking at a local level provide the impetus for innovative and future-oriented vocational education and training. In 2024, two large events took place on Ghanaian soil.

In April 2024, the first TVET symposium gave representatives from politics, research, training institutions and business the opportunity to share ideas and views within the conference programme on subjects such as VET’s impact on the socio-economic transformation of the country and the experiences of tracer studies for tracking career progression following completion of vocational education and training. Another topic was the further vocational training of VET graduates. As part of the symposium, which was attended by around 300 participants, the publication of the second Vocational Training Report was formally confirmed. The Joint Declaration of Intent was also presented with the involvement of the German Embassy and the BMBF and then signed. During their visit to Ghana, the BMBF and the DLR-Projektträger project administration agency were given an insight into the Ghanaian vocational education and training system. The exchange with CTVET strengthened the mutual interest in continuing the close cooperation.

A particular highlight of the cooperation between Ghana and Germany was the Round Table on collaboration in vocational education and training which took place in the German Embassy and was well attended in person and also virtually. The discussion focused on skilled worker immigration and on a possible link to ongoing VET cooperation projects.

From 14 to 18 October 2024, Accra was the location for Africa Skills Week, an important multilateral event with the theme of: “Skills and Jobs for the 21st Century: Quality Skill Development for Sustainable Employability in Africa". The focus was on key topics such as the funding, quality and comparability of competences across the African continent and on greater involvement by the private sector. Reporting and vocational education and training research also played a key role in the discussions. The host country of Ghana emphasised the vocational training report’s relevance to the country’s future development and paid tribute to the excellent results of the bilateral cooperation with the BMBF and GOVET.

Sustainability remains a key theme in Vocational Education and Training

GOVET worked with national and international partners to produce a publication on the theme of sustainability in vocational education and training which was published at the end of 2024. The publication brings together a range of different perspectives provided by 43 authors from 11 countries. It documents workshops, expert discussions and research work on the theme of sustainability in vocational education and training.

Fred Asamoah, head of the CTVET wrote an article on the subject of “Creating institutional implementation plans for greater sustainability in vocational schools” in which he offers an insight into the practical implementation of measures supporting greater sustainability.