TVET Financing System Failing Students – Eduwatch
Ghana’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system is struggling to prepare students with the skills employers demand, leaving many graduates unready for the job market despite years of economic growth.
This was the warning from Kofi Asare, Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, at the International Conference on Education & Humanities held at the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development.
Asare argued that Ghana’s skills development system is not keeping pace with labour market needs. He noted that although the economy grew by 6 percent in 2025, more than 1.3 million young people aged 15–35 remain outside employment, education, or training. He described this as a “skills mismatch,” with growth driven mainly by services and extractive industries that create fewer jobs than manufacturing.
He blamed part of the problem on inadequate investment in TVET institutions. “Training institutions are expected to deliver world class skills on poverty level budgets,” he said.
Enrolment in public pre tertiary TVET has risen from 32,203 learners in 2020/21 to 72,200 in 2025/26, supported by government reforms and a new National TVET Policy. Plans for a dedicated TVET Fund are also underway. But Asare said expansion has not matched Ghana’s youth population, where only 14 percent of secondary students are enrolled in TVET programmes. He also highlighted gender gaps, with men making up more than 73 percent of enrolment.
A major concern is financing. Each student currently receives a flat GHS33 allocation for practical training materials, regardless of programme. Yet actual costs are far higher, about GHS9,000 annually for catering or welding, and GHS6,000 for trades like plumbing, carpentry, and fashion. The average cost is GHS6,500 per learner, leaving a 94 percent funding gap.
This shortfall directly affects learning. Schools require 20 practical sessions a year to meet competency standards but manage only six. Many institutions cannot afford enough materials, forcing large classes to watch single demonstrations instead of practicing skills.
Employers are noticing the impact. A study by ACET and Eduwatch found that 80 percent of employers identified practical training gaps as their biggest hiring challenge. Seventy percent cited soft skills deficiencies, while 40 percent pointed to mismatched skills and 30 percent reported outdated knowledge of technology trends. Few TVET institutions receive labour market information from government, worsening the disconnect.
Infrastructure and digital readiness are also lacking. Ghana TVET Service data shows institutions need hundreds of classrooms, workshops, dormitories, and more than 200,000 desks. Only 10 of 261 schools have internet access, and thousands of computers are required to meet ICT needs. Asare warned that “we are training the workforce of the Fourth Industrial Revolution without internet access in 96 percent of our institutions.”
He called for urgent reforms, including a dedicated TVET Fund, stronger private sector involvement, investment in digital and green skills, and a national skills anticipation system. With 73.5 percent of Ghana’s population under 36, Asare said the country’s future depends on whether it can turn this youthful potential into capability.
