VET reporting in Ghana: From development to professionalisation
VET reporting remains one of the key pillars of the bilateral cooperation with Ghana. The further professionalisation of data reporting, expansion of networks and close coordination with national and international partners were the focus in 2025.
Another key focus of the bilateral cooperation in 2025 was the work on the Vocational Training Report, for which GOVET provided expert support on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ). GOVET supported the Ghanaian data reporting team from CTVET (Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training) and the Ghanaian Education Ministry (MoE) in producing the third Vocational Training Report. The work covered determining the topics, developing the data collection and data analysis methods, and, lastly, writing the texts. The plan is for the report to be published in the first half of 2026.
Specialist networking and competence building
A particular highlight was a study trip to Germany in April 2025 organised for members of the Ghanaian data reporting team. The main objective was specialist networking with colleagues from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) and with external institutions and experts in vocational education and training research. They were able to cover the entire breadth of VET research, from topics such as establishing data centres, and long-term studies, to linking data from the training and labour markets. Eight people from CTVET and MoE took part, including the new head of CTVET Zakaria Sulemana, who emphasised the significance of the Vocational Training Report for the commission’s work and the further development of the VET system in Ghana.
As part of the study trip there was also a round table, organised jointly with iMOVE, at which representatives from the education sector discussed questions regarding successful skilled worker immigration. The programme was completed with a training day on data management and analysis, reinforcing the team’s methodological competencies.
In numerous virtual working sessions, GOVET also provided the CTVET team with ongoing advice regarding the content and methodological development of the third Vocational Training Report.
Stakeholder dialogue strengthens data reporting and networking
One of the major objectives is the participation of more stakeholders in data reporting. A two-day stakeholder event in Accra contributed to improving the involvement of further stakeholders. The focus was on closing knowledge gaps, creating new connections, and deepening stakeholder cooperation. Initiated by GOVET, all relevant state and non-state organisations came together for the first time to present their current work processes and to discuss future requirements and development opportunities in interactive workshops moderated by CTVET. Around 100 participants actively took part in the discussions and emphasised the need for a more coordinated approach in VET in general as well as in the establishment of a TVET Management Information System. The event was organised by GOVET in cooperation with CTVET and UNICEF Ghana.
With the stakeholder workshop we were able to more extensively incorporate the topic of VET reporting into the system. The open exchange between the stakeholders showed just how big the common interest is in coordinated solutions and reliable data for the further development of vocational education and training in Ghana.
Julia Olesen, GOVET project manager in the bilateral cooperation with Ghana
Events and international networking
GOVET presented the Ghanaian VET system and the key elements of a bilateral cooperation to an interested expert audience on the Ghana Day of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in September 2025. In October 2025, GOVET also took part in the Ghana Day of the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) in Bonn, at which representatives from research and practice came together.
On the international level, GOVET continues to be actively involved in the Development Partners Group that was initiated by UNICEF Ghana and the Delegation of the European Union in Ghana. The main focus of this group is the regular discussion of current developments in VET as well as on ongoing and upcoming projects of the different stakeholders in Ghana.
In 2025 GOVET worked with national and international partners to produce a publication on the topic of data reporting in vocational education and training. Zakaria Sulemana, Head of CTVET, and Samuel Thompson, Head of Department for Projects and Monitoring in VET, reflected on the cooperation between CTVET and GOVET in a specialist article. In an interview, GOVET project head Julia Olesen also provided insights into the cooperation and how courses of action are established as a team.
The basis of the cooperation between GOVET and the Ghanaian VET authority (Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, CTVET) is the Joint Declaration of Intent signed in 2019 by the German and the Ghanaian Ministries of Education, which was extended in 2024. It forms the strategic framework for a long-term and close cooperation in the area of VET reporting.