SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF CTVET AT THE 3RD NATIONAL ROUNDTABLE ON PRIVATE SECTOR ENGAGEMENT IN TVET
Distinguished representatives from industry,
Representatives of Sector Skills Bodies,
Leaders of the informal sector,
Heads of TVET institutions,
Colleagues from government agencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is an honour to welcome you to the 3rd National Roundtable on Private Sector Engagement in TVET. This platform has quickly become one of the most important mechanisms for sustaining dialogue between government and industry, ensuring that Ghana’s TVET system remains relevant, competitive, and aligned to the fast-changing demands of the labour market. Today’s discussions build on the strong foundation laid by the first and second roundtables and signal our collective readiness to move from dialogue to concrete action.
The role of the private sector in TVET cannot be overstated. Across the world, countries that have succeeded in building resilient, job-creating economies have placed industry at the centre of skills development. Ghana is no different. Our national development aspirations and indeed our economic competitiveness depend heavily on how well we align training with real industry needs. This alignment cannot happen without sustained private sector participation. We therefore consider you not as stakeholders, but as co-owners of Ghana’s TVET transformation agenda.
Through this engagement, we seek to promote deeper collaboration in Competency-Based Training (CBT), Workplace Experience Learning (WEL), apprenticeship models, industry-led curriculum development, and the strengthening of Sector Skills Bodies. These areas directly enhance employability, productivity, and innovation. As we scale up CBT and workplace learning across sectors, active industry involvement becomes even more critical. The evidence is clear: trainees who interact with industry during training transition more smoothly into jobs and perform better in the workplace.
Ladies and gentlemen, industry stands to gain significantly from cooperating with the TVET system, particularly through early access to top-performing learners who are trained with direct industry input, ensuring they are competent, job-ready, and aligned with real workplace standards. Additionally, collaboration allows companies to shape training content and influence the development of future talent pipelines, reducing recruitment costs, minimizing onboarding time, and guaranteeing a workforce that is fit-for-purpose and fully attuned to the organisation’s operational needs.
From our discussions so far in the two previous round table engagements, five clear takeaways have emerged. First, sustained public-private collaboration must remain at the heart of our skills development efforts. Second, CBT and workplace learning need to be scaled up nationwide to improve employability outcomes. Third, Sector Skills Bodies require stronger policy and legal backing to fully deliver on their mandate. Fourth, Ghana needs a formalized, institutionalized national dialogue platform to maintain momentum and ensure accountability. Finally, the innovative partnership ideas generated at this roundtable must be transformed into implementable action plans that deliver real impact.
Considering these takeaways, CTVET respectfully submits several policy recommendations for consideration. We propose the establishment of a National TVET Dialogue Platform as a structured mechanism for continuous public-private engagement. We are also open to discussing mechanisms to encourage companies to invest in training, collaborate with institutions, and take on workplace trainees. Equally important is the strengthening of the operational framework for Sector Skills Bodies, sustainable financing, and enhanced initiatives to drive industry standards.
We further recommend the scaling up of workplace learning opportunities, supported by insurance schemes and co-financing models that reduce risk for participating companies. There is also the need to design tailored programmes for some specific sectors as well as the informal sector, which is an area that contribute significantly to Ghana’s employment landscape. Strengthening institutional capacity, improving training equipment, and promoting joint innovation projects between training institutions and industry must also be prioritized.
As CTVET, we wish to reaffirm that the Government of Ghana has opened its doors fully to private sector engagement in TVET. We invite industry, be it large, medium, and small scale, to participate actively in curriculum development, internship and apprenticeship placements, equipment sharing, tracer studies, and job placement systems. The success of our national skills strategy depends on your leadership, your expertise, and your willingness to co-create a skills ecosystem that works for all. We stand ready to support, facilitate, and coordinate these partnerships at all levels.
In conclusion, today advances Ghana’s ambition to build a TVET system that is accountable, responsive, and globally competitive. The collective commitment demonstrated at this roundtable reinforces our shared determination to transform Ghana’s skills landscape. With your continued support, CTVET will drive forward the institutionalization of dialogue platforms, provide evidence-based policy advice, and strengthen collaboration so that together we can deliver a TVET system that meets the needs of industry, empowers young people, and accelerates national development.
Thank you.
