Accra: Ghana is emerging as a regional hub for technical and vocational education and training (TVET), as the Arts and Skills Technology Institute (ASTI) attracts students from across West Africa. The development came to light at ASTI's fifth graduation ceremony, where students from Ghana, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone completed skills-based training programmes aligned with the country's expanding TVET agenda.
According to Ghana News Agency, Ms Rebecca Donkor, Founder and President of ASTI, stated that the participation of students from the sub-region reflected growing confidence in Ghana as a centre for practical, employment-focused skills development. "ASTI is no longer serving only Ghana; it is serving West Africa," she said. "The fact that students are coming from Nigeria and Sierra Leone confirms that skills training in Ghana is gaining regional trust and relevance."
She highlighted that ASTI had deliberately positioned itself to respond to labour market needs rather than traditional academic pathways. "Our mandate is to train for jobs, train for innovation and train for national development," Ms Donkor said. "We are producing graduates who can immediately function in industry or create enterprises of their own."
At the ceremony, ASTI awarded certificates to 124 graduates who completed professional and technical training programmes in fields including makeup artistry, technology, fashion design, millinery and accessories, garment making, and cosmetology. Others were trained in mechanised farming, entrepreneurship, digital marketing, management, communication, and specialised barbering.
The ceremony, held under the theme: 'Skills for Jobs, Innovation and National Development,' underscored the institute's focus on equipping trainees with practical competencies to support employment, innovation, and national growth. Ms Donkor said the diversity of disciplines reflected Ghana's broader development priorities, including agriculture, the creative economy, and small-business development.
"TVET is critical to Ghana's economic transformation, and ASTI is part of that national effort. We are training skills that directly translate into productivity, incomes, and local enterprise development," she noted. She attributed the institute's growth to partnerships with government-backed skills programmes and alignment with national policy.
"Our work shows what is possible when public skills initiatives and private training institutions work together. These partnerships allow us to scale impact while maintaining high training standards," she said. Ms Donkor urged the graduates to see themselves as contributors to economic development rather than job seekers.
"They are not waiting for jobs; they are creating jobs. They are innovators, employers, and solutions to unemployment challenges in their communities," she said. She added that ASTI would continue to expand its regional reach while deepening industry linkages in Ghana.
"Our vision is to make Ghana a reference point for skills excellence in West Africa. When young people across the region think of practical skills and opportunity, we want them to think of Ghana and ASTI," she added. ASTI has so far trained and supported more than 3,000 people across Ghana and West Africa, including participants from Nigeria and Sierra Leone, strengthening its role as a regional hub for skills development and cross-border collaboration.