COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF A ONE-DAY STAKEHOLDER FORUM ON INCLUSIVE TVET AND APPRENTICESHIP FOR OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUNG PEOPLE IN GHANA, HELD ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2024 AT THE NORTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY, TAMALE

Introduction

On Saturday, 28th September 2024, the Centre for Development and Policy Advocacy (CEDEPA) convened a Stakeholder Forum at the Northern Regional Capital, Tamale under the theme: “The Role of Government in Promoting Inclusive TVET and Apprenticeship Training among Out-of-School Young People.” The forum brought together over 90 participants, comprising heads of decentralised government departments and agencies, about 15 civil society organisations, as well as 11 Artisanal Associations, women and youth group leaders, including the Northern Regional Youth Network. The event highlighted the critical role of government in promoting inclusive TVET and apprenticeship training, particularly for out-of-school youth, identified challenges encountered by out-of-school young people in the TVET and apprenticeship ecosystem and proffered actionable recommendations for making TVET and apprenticeship training more inclusive.

Objectives of the Forum

The main objectives of the forum were as follows:

• To explore how government can enhance apprenticeship training as a tool to reduce youth unemployment and improve livelihoods, especially among vulnerable out-of school young people.
• To assess the existing government policies on TVET and apprenticeship training in Ghana to ascertain the underlying challenges of inclusivity for out-of-school young people.
• To identify opportunities in the apprenticeship ecosystem, with a particular focus on improving access to apprenticeship training for out-of-school youth in rural areas.
• To foster collaboration among government agencies, the private sector, and civil society to promote creativity, innovation, and youth empowerment through TVET and apprenticeship training.

The Role of TVET/Apprenticeship

The forum underscored the critical role of TVET and apprenticeship training in the following areas:

• Reducing Youth Unemployment: The forum underscored the role of TVET and apprenticeship in providing practical skills that can reduce the high unemployment rate among young people.
• Curbing Social Vices: It was noted that by engaging young people in TVET and apprenticeship training, the government can address the root causes of various social vices often linked to youth unemployment.
• Promoting Creativity and Innovation: Apprenticeship training was identified as an avenue for nurturing innovation and creativity among young people, thereby fostering entrepreneurial ventures.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Challenges Identified:

The following challenges were identified:

1. The Exclusion of Out-of-School Youth in the Government’s Free TVET Policy

Participants raised concerns about the fact that the free TVET policy by government does not cover out-of-school youth wishing to learn, upgrade or formalize their trades in the state TVET Institutions. This creates financial barriers for marginalised youth, such as street children and the kayayei people.

2. Limited Resources and Lack of Standardization for Private Craft Masters

Participants observed that craft masters who play a pivotal role in training apprentices, particularly in rural and underserved communities lack standardization of their work. They do not have adequate infrastructure, as well as training tools and materials, due to limited government support. These tend to limit their capacity to expand their reach to many rural youth and also deliver quality training.

3. Exploitative Practices by Private Craft Masters

Participants raised noted the high charges and demands for expensive gifts by Craft Masters when apprentices are graduating from their Centres. These demands create financial barriers to many deprived young people wishing to learn various crafts. For instance, some Craft Masters require apprentices to pay as Graduation Fees, the same amount they paid as Enrolment Fees, when they joined their Centres.

4. Lack of Interest in TVET/Apprenticeship by Grammar Students

Participants observed that youth who study grammar programmes in senior high schools and tertiary institutions tend to look down upon TVET and Apprenticeship programmes. However, with limited jobs for grammar graduates, they end up being unemployed for a longer period of time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Recommendations

The forum made the following key recommendations for consideration the government, and the 2024 Presidential Candidates of the major political parties:                                                                                                                                                     1.    1. Collaboration with Private TVET Partners

The government through the Ghana TVET Service should collaborate with private vocational training centres to expand the reach of apprenticeship programmes to rural underserved communities. The Ghana TVET Service, the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) and the National Youth Authority (NYA) should collaborate to identify and register Private Apprenticeship Centres at the district and community levels, equip those Centres with the requisite tools and resources, and build their capacity to standardise their training. Those Centres should then be adopted by government as TVET placement or internship centres in the underserved communities.  Particularly, the Forum lauded the Apprenticeship initiatives of the YEA but observed that the YEA training durations are relatively too short to make their beneficiaries very proficient to practice, and therefore recommended that the YEA should collaborate with recognised Private Training Centres, so that their beneficiaries can be placed at those Centres for attachment after their initial training.

2.Expand the Coverage of the Free SHS Policy

The Free TVET Policy should be expanded to specifically include out-of-school youth who want to enrol and learn various trades or formalize their skills at the various government TEVT institutions.

3. Sensitisation for Craft Masters

District Assemblies, the Youth Employment Agency (YEA), the National Youth Authority (NYA), CSOs, community opinion leaders as well as chiefs and religious leaders should collaborate to sensitise and implore Craft Masters to desist from making excessive demands of money and gifts from apprentices at the point of their graduation.

4. Sensitise the Youth to Embrace TVET and Apprenticeship

District Assemblies, Ghana Education Service, Youth Employment Agency (YEA), National Youth Authority|(NYA), Ghana TVET Service and CSOs should collaborate to sensitize and encourage young people, both in and out of school, to embrace TVET and Apprenticeship as alternative livelihood strategies. Students should particularly be encouraged to use the transitional period from JHS to SHS and from SHS to University to learn a vocational skill of their interest.

Call to Action

The Stakeholder forum calls upon the government, private sector actors, development partners, CSOs, and all relevant stakeholders to work collaboratively in implementing these recommendations. By doing so, we can collectively address the youth unemployment crisis and enhance the development of practical skills that are critical to the economic empowerment of young people in Ghana.

The forum also calls for sustained advocacy and engagement at both the local and national levels to ensure that the apprenticeship training ecosystem becomes a viable and sustainable solution to the unemployment challenges facing the nation.

Conclusion

CEDEPA expresses its gratitude to all participants for their invaluable contributions during the forum. The collective input from the diverse group of stakeholders demonstrates the shared commitment to developing sustainable solutions that empower out-of-school youth through effective apprenticeship training programs. We believe that together, we can build a brighter future for the youth of Ghana, where skills acquisition and empowerment serve as the cornerstones for national development and progress.