Accra: Mr Kofi Asare, the Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), has highlighted significant digital deficiencies within Ghana's Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. He revealed an alarming statistic of a substantial 50 per cent of TVET learners who were not aware of, or enrolled in, programmes that incorporated digital marketing.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Asare made these remarks during the Young People's Forum on the National Apprenticeship Programme, organised by Africa Education Watch and supported by Oxfam. He stated that the prevailing deficiencies underscored a critical gap between current training models and the demands of the future workforce. "This means that many graduates, despite acquiring valuable artisan skills, lack the crucial knowledge to effectively market their services and secure better earning opportunities in a digitally driven economy," he said.
However, Mr Asare pointed out that a staggering 80 per cent of TVET students currently enrolled in digital programmes were not being adequately equipped with essential ICT skills. He noted that the training often lacked depth in digital competencies, failing to prepare students for the competitive job market. "Only one per cent of TVET students are aware of AI, with a vast majority of 90 per cent having received no instruction or training in this rapidly evolving field," he said.
Mr Asare warned that without mainstreaming AI and robotics technology into TVET curricula, graduates would be ill-prepared for the future of work, which increasingly relies on those advanced digital skills. He urged stakeholders to prioritise the integration of digital skills across all TVET programmes.
He emphasised that while traditional skills were important, their application and marketability in the modern world were heavily dependent on digital literacy. Mr Asare advocated training models, which were not only climate-responsive but also data science compliant, as well as the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies like AI and robotics to ensure the relevance and competitiveness of graduates for the job market.
