Working together for a green future of vocational training in Ghana

As part of his three-day state visit to Ghana together with an economic delegation, the German Federal President broke ground for the new Centre of Excellence for Green Technologies at the Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI) in a ceremony this week. The project, which is funded by KfW on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is part of Germany's long-standing commitment to supporting the African country in the field of vocational training on its path to a green and sustainable economy.

During his visit to Kumasi, the capital of the densely populated Ashanti region in the southern part of the country, Steinmeier also visited two training classes at the institute and talked to participants in the recycling and German courses supported by GIZ. The Centre of Excellence for Green Technologies, which is now being established at the KTI, is a model project for promoting environment-related occupational fields. It gives young Ghanaians and skilled workers access to needs-based, high-quality training and further education opportunities in future-oriented occupational fields that are of central importance for a sustainable ‘green economy’. The new building offers modern facilities for practical and theoretical training in areas such as mechanics, sanitary engineering, refrigeration and air conditioning technologies, electrical installation, electrical engineering and electronics, including photovoltaics. KfW is financing the project, which is being implemented by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), with a grant of EUR 5 million, supplemented by a contribution of EUR 0.6 million from the Ghanaian government.

Vocational training and innovation for greater climate protection and sustainability

At the groundbreaking ceremony, the regional minister of the Ashanti Region emphasised the importance of the project for achieving Ghana's climate and sustainability goals. He praised the joint commitment of Ghana and Germany to vocational training, sustainability and innovation. The Centre of Excellence complements KfW's long-standing and successful commitment to the Ghanaian vocational training sector, in particular through the Ghana TVET Voucher Project. This innovative project supports practice-oriented training and further education through education vouchers, especially in the informal sector, thereby improving the prospects of young people and business owners to tap into future potential through adequate vocational qualifications. The project now covers ten occupational fields nationwide and has been able to increasingly optimise the quality of the training programmes through the accreditation of training providers and a demand-­oriented design. Since 2017, around 39,000 people have benefited from the vouchers. In the current phase, 74% of participants are women, and there is also a special focus on supporting people with disabilities.

With the Centre of Excellence for Green Technologies at KTI and the Ghana TVET Voucher Project, KfW and its Ghanaian partners are sending a strong signal for sustainable development and vocational training in Ghana – thereby making an important contribution to strengthening the economic prospects of young people and promoting a green future.