Kukurantumi: The European Union and Germany have pledged their support to Ghana's efforts in expanding girls' participation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a strategic approach to addressing youth unemployment, reducing gender disparities, and enhancing workforce skills. This commitment was highlighted with the inauguration of a fully sustainable girls' dormitory at St. Paul's Technical Institute in Kukurantumi. During the event, Haruna Iddrisu, Ghana's Minister of Education, unveiled plans for a dedicated TVET Fund and increased investment in technical education.
According to Ghana News Agency, the intervention is timely, given the existing gender gap in TVET enrollment, where currently between 16,000 and 17,000 girls are enrolled compared to over 40,000 boys in technical and vocational programs nationwide. "It means we need to work harder and mobilize more to encourage young girls to accept TVET as an equal path to their self-development and the development of our country," stated Mr. Iddrisu.
At the commissioning ceremony, the Minister emphasized that technical and vocational education is Ghana's most effective tool against unemployment and underemployment, particularly among the youth. He stressed the importance of increased investment in skills training to address the country's growing youth population. Mr. Iddrisu revealed the government's plans for a dedicated TVET Fund aimed at providing sustainable financing for infrastructure, equipment, and skills development programs. "This government will dedicate to this country a TVET Fund in the coming days to provide speedy and sustainable resources to finance TVET," he declared.
The government is also considering allocating 10 percent of annual GETFund allocations for TVET, and the World Bank has approved a 300-million-dollar facility to support secondary and technical education development nationwide. This facility will aid in school rehabilitation, infrastructure upgrades, and the construction of 10 to 13 new secondary schools across the country.
Ms. Chantel Lahmer, Policy Advisor at the German Embassy, representing the German Ambassador to Ghana, highlighted the challenges faced by girls pursuing technical education, including long and sometimes unsafe commutes. "How can a young woman fully focus on building her future when the journey to that future is already so difficult before the school day even begins?" she queried. Lahmer described the dormitory as an investment in opportunity, safety, and inclusion, stating, "This dormitory is a direct message that young women and girls belong in TVET. They belong in technical fields, workshops, laboratories, engineering, and every space where Ghana's future is being built."
The project, initiated under the Ghana Skills Development Initiative, received backing from the European Union and the German Government and was completed after delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The facility is powered by solar energy and incorporates biodigester technology, making it a model for climate-smart educational infrastructure and green skills development. However, Ms. Lahmer cautioned that infrastructure alone would not suffice to transform the sector. "The long-term success of TVET also depends on sustainable financing. Quality training requires reliable sources for equipment, maintenance, teaching materials, and instructors," she said.
Ms. Gisela Spreitzhofer, Team Leader for Governance and Security at the European Union Delegation to Ghana, told journalists that the dormitory is part of broader efforts to transform Ghana's TVET ecosystem and prepare young people for emerging economic opportunities. She highlighted that TVET is essential for creating decent jobs, supporting local value addition, and driving an equitable, sustainable, green, and digital economic transformation.
The dormitory project is part of a wider TVET transformation initiative jointly supported by the European Union and German Development Cooperation, with the EU contributing millions of euros towards sector reforms and skills development programs. Mr. Teye-Bi-Teye Agualey, Principal of St. Paul's Technical Institute, noted that the school had only 187 female students out of a total enrollment of 2,769, reflecting the gender imbalance common across many technical institutions. "Our school is predominantly male, but we have a female population of 187 girls out of a total student body of 2,769. This entire female population will be occupying this new facility," he said.
Before the dormitory's completion, female students were housed in teachers' bungalows due to the lack of dedicated residential facilities. "Before this, our main challenge was that the girls had to be housed in the teachers' bungalows. Now they will relocate to the new dormitory, allowing us to release those bungalows back to our teaching staff," he added. Mr. Agualey emphasized that the new facility would improve safety, privacy, and learning conditions while helping attract more girls into technical programs.
For Ghana, the new dormitory represents a broader policy shift prioritizing technical skills, gender inclusion, and sustainable development in efforts to create jobs and prepare young people for the future.