NN46, September 2011
Towards a New Global World of Skills Development? TVET's turn to Make its Mark
From Prejudice to Prestige: Vocational Education and Training in Ghana
By Chris Gale, City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development, London
Email: chris.gale@skillsdevelopment.org
Keywords: Ghana; perceptions; informal and formal training; policy development; opportunities for young people.
Summary: Whilst the vocational training sector in Ghana continues to attract large numbers of young people, it suffers from negative perceptions which impacts on its viability as an educational pathway. With this in mind, CSD and COTVET surveyed the attitudes of key stakeholders to identify the underlying factors driving these poor perceptions
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Education was placed at the centre of Ghana’s economic and social development policies following its independence in 1957 and this was reaffirmed with the implementation of the 1961 Education Act (Akyeampong, 2010). Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) was originally a central part of this development strategy. However, despite a variety of new initiatives and policy directives over the last 50 years, TVET is marginalised within the educational landscape and the sector has consistently struggled to produce the skilled workforce needed to meet the needs of the Ghanaian economy.
Existing research suggests that the sector continues to be constrained by negative perceptions, which portray TVET as a low status, low quality educational pathway (Anamuah-Mensah, 2004). These perceptions have clearly not, however, prevented vocational training from remaining a key route through which young Ghanaians attempt to acquire the skills they need for entry into the labour market. For example, in 2010, The Ministry of Education (2010) recorded 64,156 learners enrolled in formal TVET, and Palmer suggests that this number is dwarfed by those in informal apprenticeships, which account for at least 80% of vocational enrolments (Palmer, 2007).
Given the renewed policy orientation towards vocational training with the establishment of COTVET (Council of Technical Vocational Education and Training) in 2008, there is again an opportunity to create appealing, high-quality routes to work through TVET. Whilst the sector may attract a significant proportion of young people, for COTVET to have the desired impact, there is a need to understand the underlying factors which continue to drive the negative perceptions surrounding TVET in Ghana. With this in mind, CSD and COTVET surveyed the attitudes of key stakeholders, including learners, graduates, employers, trainers, parents and policy makers, towards TVET (from both informal and formal training) to identify the factors driving poor perceptions.
What we found was that many learners echoed these perceptions, often highlighting that people associated their chosen pathway with having failed to make the grades to continue onto Senior High School (SHS). This negative outlook often translated into low expected returns on completion of their training. Parents also often stressed poor returns as a major issue. This has fuelled a notion that the sector is primarily for those that are unable to afford formal education. Alongside often poor infrastructure and limited resources, this has reinforced a negative stereotype of vocational learners.
The poor prospects when entering into vocational training were exacerbated by the stigma which was attached to a variety of trades. In addition to the negative perceptions outlined above, the interviews highlighted a link between some trades and other anti-social activities. The greatest issue that this presented was that these were often in jobs that had the potential to absorb large numbers of young people. Most notable was a perceived association between hair and beauty and prostitution. A number of existing trainees emphasised that they were warned off the sector because of this association and it has certainly had an impact on the numbers of young people considering the trade as a viable livelihood opportunity.
This negative outlook did not, however, extend to employers or trainers. Employers often articulated the value they placed on vocationally trained graduates and highlighted the key role they play within their organisations.
Despite the relatively positive outlook from employers and trainers, they both emphasised the necessity of basic skills as a foundation for progression. This was a particular issue for those emerging from informal training, in which basic skills provision is often completely absent. Employers also indicated that although they looked favourably on TVET graduates, they were generally not workplace ready upon completion of their studies, particularly in terms of soft skills. This in turn impacted on their willingness to take on vocational graduates full time, instead using them on a contractual basis.
In addition to the shortcomings in basic and soft skills, there was also a general concern about the quality and comparability of training. This limited the recognition of the skills that learners gained upon completion, particularly in the informal sector. What was most notable in this study was a lack of standardisation. Many learners, notably from the informal sector, felt the quality of training that they received was questionable and even suggested that trainers might be keeping some skills to themselves. This was impacting on trainees’ confidence to take on work and again their perceived prospects post-training. In contrast, many others, primarily from formal training, felt that they were being well prepared for the labour market and were upbeat about their prospects.
Finally, very few learners had received any sort of careers guidance prior to entering into training and this may have had a negative impact on the expectations of learners, which in turn may account for poor performance and lack of motivation during training. Learners expressed a lack of awareness of what they were entering into when they began training, and simultaneously what they may progress on to do upon completion.
It is clear that the negative perceptions surrounding the sector are not unfounded. These perceptions are being driven by generally poor learning environments and limited prospects for graduates. Employers did, in contrast, indicate their willingness to employ graduates who demonstrate the required skill levels. The report therefore highlights a variety of possible policy responses to address some of these key inhibiting factors and to improve the alignment between training and the needs and expectations of employers:
- - Develop the careers advice and guidance system.
- - Expand the policy linkages between the TVET system and small enterprise development.
- - Introduce capacity development training for master craftspersons.
- - Improve the linkages and dialogue between industry and training.
- - Conduct a promotional campaign to improve the perceptions of the sector.
References
Akyeampong, A. K. (2010) 50 Years of Educational Progress and Challenge in Ghana. Research Monograph No. 33. Brighton: Centre for International Education, University of Sussex
Anamuah-Mensah, J. (2004) Vocational/Technological Education for Accelerated Wealth Creation: Critical Issues Facing the Nation. Paper presented at the 56th New Year School Conference organised by the Institute of Adult Education at the University of Ghana, 30 December 2004.
Ministry of Education (2010) Education Sector Performance Report 2010. Accra: Ministry of Education.
Palmer, R. (2007) Skills for Work?: From Skills Development to Decent Livelihoods in Ghana’s Rural Informal Economy. International Journal of Educational Development 27(4): 397-420.
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Cite article as: Gale, C., (2011) ‘From Prejudice to Prestige: Vocational Education and Training in Ghana’, in NORRAG NEWS, Towards a New Global World of Skills Development? TVET's turn to Make its Mark, No.46, September 2011, pp. 112-115, available: http://www.norrag.org
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