Member of Parliament for Offinso North in the Ashanti Region, Dr. Fred Kyei Asamoah has urged the Government to endeavour to learn from Germany, her model of the technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
He maintained that, it was the application of this improved model of the programme that has transformed Germany significantly to her position as one of the world’s most famous manufacturing missions.
Subsequently, if Ghana wants to achieve economic transformation in industrialization, job creation, and nation’s security, she should go the German way of TVET.
“Ghana’s future competitiveness will depend on how deliberately it will build a skilled workforce that can respond to industry needs, technological change and the demand of a modern economy.
Dr. Asamoah made this call via a statement he read on the floor of Parliament Tuesday 24 June 2026.
He pointed out that in the regard, the dual vocational and Training system offers very important lessons because it has linked education, industry and national productivity into a structured and sustainable way.
The German experience:
According to him, Germany’s commitment to TVET reflect in the scale and structure of its system. Its dual vocational training system has about 1.2 million apprentices, roughly 400,000 training, companies and more than 8,000 vocational schools, with training offered across more than 320 recognized occupations. In 2021, about 74 per cent of apprentices stayed with the companies they trained with and received employment contracts after completing their vocational training. In addition, it is worth noting that 96% of the apprentices secure employment after their training.
Mr Speaker, “A visit to the Deutscher Bundestag, the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the BVG Training Centre in Berlin, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, AXA Insurance Group in Bonn and the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) confirmed one central lesson: effective TVET must integrate theory, practical training and real workplace experience. Apprentices typically train for between two and three-and-a-half years under a formal contract, combining school-based learning with company-based training while receiving a monthly allowance. Mr Speaker, the strength of the German model lies not only in public investment, but also in strong employer participation, legal clarity, quality assurance and the recognition that skills development is a long-term investment in productivity, innovation and competitiveness”.
He said, one-of Germany’s most important achievements is that TVET is not treated as a second-choice pathway. Through legislation, employer leadership, chamber oversight, credible certification and clear career progression, Germany has built public confidence in vocational education and positioned skilled work as a respected route to prosperity.
Way forward:
He however, acknowledged that Ghana has taken commendable steps to strengthen TVET, but Germany’s experience points to clear reforms that can accelerate progress and make TVET a stronger engine of national development as he suggest five key points for Ghana to infuse improvement into the TVET programme:
- Strengthen industry participation by making employers active partners in curriculum design, workplace training, assessment and certification.
- Expand structured apprenticeship pathways across technical and vocational programmes So that every learner gains practical workplace experience before graduation.
- Increase private sector investment in workforce development by encouraging businesses to train future workers rather than only consume skilled labour.
- Continue investing in modern workshops, laboratories, digital tools and equipment that reflect current and emerging industry standards.
- Elevate the status of TVET through professionalization, licensing and stronger links between certified skills and business registration in relevant sectors; and
- Establish employer-led and independently assured certification systems to improve credibility, public confidence and labour market acceptance. By S.O Akamah and Edzorna Francis Mensah
