Accra: Government is actively implementing a comprehensive Human Capital Development Framework to ensure that initiatives in agriculture, digitalisation, and vocational training are not isolated but part of a coherent national strategy. The Framework builds on such initiatives by ensuring that they are scaled, better coordinated, and linked to measurable outcomes.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo, Minister for Labour, Jobs and Employment, was speaking at the 5th Annual National Precision Quality Conference in Accra on the theme: 'Improving Labour Productivity and Enterprise Competitiveness through a Human Capital Development Framework.' The Conference was organised by the Design and Technology Institute (DTI), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and in collaboration with the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC). A key highlight of the Conference was the presentation of a baseline study on human capital in Ghana, commissioned by DTI and NDPC.
He said the study sets out how Ghana would align skills development to enterprise competitiveness and how 'we will measure progress in terms of jobs created, productivity gains, and competitiveness achieved.' The Minister said countries that had successfully transformed their economies, such as Singapore, South Korea, and Malaysia, did so by investing heavily in human capital. He noted that these countries were not resource-rich but invested in education, vocational skills, and technology adoption. 'These investments created resilient and competitive economies. Ghana can and must do the same. We are laying the foundations, but we must now accelerate implementation with focus and discipline,' he added.
Dr Pelpuo highlighted that the Ghana Apprenticeship Programme and the Ghana Skills Development Initiative were equipping tens of thousands of young people with market-ready skills, contributing to increased productivity in enterprises, from small workshops to large industries. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that Ghana's human capital strategy produces citizens who are innovative, adaptable, and capable of transforming their enterprises and communities.
Ms Constance Swaniker, Founder and President, DTI, said the Institute and its partners had demonstrated through practice that investing in people directly results in meaningful impact. She noted that with the Mastercard Foundation, over 30,609 jobs were created for young people through Precision Quality training. She added that PQ had become part of Ghana's National Quality Policy and was enshrined in law under the Ghana Standards Authority Act 1078 (2022).
The President mentioned that DTI learners now enjoyed a 70 percent employability rate, demonstrating that when skills meet precision, transformation happens. 'Through internships and incubation, we have enabled over 48,895 graduates to transition into more than 87 industries,' she said. She also highlighted DTI's efforts in championing girls' education, with 60 percent of students being female, marking a significant change in a male-dominated TVET sector.
Furthermore, Ms Swaniker mentioned that DTI had empowered the informal sector by training 31,794 master craftsmen, artisans, traders, and entrepreneurs to adopt PQ standards. She noted the establishment of Precision Quality demonstration centres in seven technical universities and four pre-tertiary institutes nationwide. DTI received endorsements from the IFC, the African Union (SIFA-NEPAD-AUDA), and WorldSkills, confirming PQ as a continental solution.
She expressed concern over the findings of the Human Capital Baseline Study, noting that while thousands of students graduated annually, fewer than 30 percent transitioned into jobs aligned with their training. More than 80 percent of the workforce is in the informal sector, yet its GDP contribution remains disproportionately low, at around 30 percent. Ghana's Human Capital Index indicates that a child born today will reach only 40 percent of their potential productivity without significant improvements in health and education (World Bank, 2023). Gender disparities persist, and closing the gender gap in labour markets could boost Africa's GDP by $316 billion each year (AfDB).
Ms Swaniker stressed that human capital development is too vital to be politicised and must be regarded as a national endeavour, surpassing political cycles. 'The private sector's role is vital in maintaining continuity by investing in skills, aligning training with industry needs, creating jobs, and supporting reforms beyond election cycles, ensuring that human capital development remains a shared national priority,' she added.
