Exploring Strategies for Rebranding of Technical and Vocational Education in Developing Countries: A Case of Ghanaian Tutors and Administrators

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2312-3540/12224

Keywords:

rebranding, stakeholder, strategy, technical and vocational education, TVET

Abstract

Despite the persistent request from educational stakeholders to embrace technical and vocational education training (TVET) for sustainable livelihood and development, enrolment in TVET institutions in developing countries is still very low. This study, therefore, seeks to explore factors for the rebranding of TVET in Ghana. This quantitative study proposed five key strategies to be adopted in rebranding TVET in Ghana: government; training providers; parents and guardians; donor and development partners; and employer-related rebranding strategies. The study reveals that governmental strategies perceived to be critical in the rebranding of TVET in Ghana include offering legislative backing to national TVET policy, mainstreaming vocational education into the general education system, and setting up venture capital to support TVET graduates. Trainers should develop business plans to support training activities, networking, and benchmarking with other providers, and establish strong linkages and collaboration with employers and industry. The findings of this study are critical to the development of Ghana and other developing countries as TVET significantly contributes to developing the skill base of any country and increases the employment rate. Rebranding TVET is a step in the right direction towards implementing government policies.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Abdullahi, H., Y. Z. Abdullahi, and A. A. Bello. 2012. “Rebranding Nigeria’s Educational System for Effective National Economic Development.” Academic Research International 3 (1): 186–193.

Adams, A. V. 2007. The Role of Youth Skills Development in the Transition to Work: A Global Review. Washington, DC: World Bank. https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/zh/533301468088460383/pdf/406440REPLACEM0110USE0SAME0BOX0INFO.pdf

African Transformation Report (ATR). 2014. Growth with Depth. The African Center for Economic Transformation. https://acetforafrica.org/?smd_process_download=1&download_id=14456

African Union. 2007. “Strategy to Revitalize Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Africa.” Addis Ababa: African Union. https://au.int/sites/default/files/documents/39018-doc-15._au_2007_tvet_strategy.pdf

Agbenyo, J. S. 2010. “ICT, Technical and Vocational Training in Ghana, Telecentres African Rural Community Services Delivery.” International Journal of Elementary Education 8 (3): 58–62.

Alam, G. M. 2008. “The Role of Technical and Vocational Education in National Development of Bangladesh.” Asia-Pacific Journal of Co-operative Education 9 (1): 30–33.

Almeida, R., L. Anazawa, N. M. Filho, and L. Vasconcellos. 2015. Investing in Technical & Vocational Education and Training: Does it Yield Large Economic Returns in Brazil?. The World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/1813-9450-7246

Amedorme, S. K., and Y. A. K. Fiagbe. 2013. “Challenges Facing Technical and Vocational Education in Ghana.” International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research 2 (6): 253–255.

Ansah, S. K., and E. Kissi. 2013. “Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Ghana: A Tool for Skill Acquisition and Industrial Development.” Journal of Education and Practice 4 (16): 172–180.

Appiah-Kwapong, L. S., H. B. Taylor-Abdulai, C. O. Nyarko, C. Ampofo-Ansa, E. Donkor, and E. O. Afriyie. 2017. “Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as Catalyst for Entrepreneurial Development of Students in Polytechnics: A Case Study of Accra Polytechnic.” Higher Education Research 2 (2): 55–59.

Aryeetey, A., E. Bortei-Doku, D. Doh, and P. Andoh. 2011. “From Prejudice to Prestige: Vocational Education and Training in Ghana.” City and Guilds and Centre for Skills Development Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET). http://hdl.voced.edu.au/10707/179756

Atchoarena, D., and A. Delluc. 2001. Revisiting Technical and Vocational Education in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Update on Trends, Innovations and Challenges. Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning, World Bank. https://aau.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2018/04/Technical-Vocational-Education-in-SSA-Trends-innovations-and-Challenges.pdf

Ayonmike, C. S. 2016. “Technical Vocational Education and Training in Nigeria for Job Creation and Wealth Generation: Myths and Realities.” ATBU, Journal of Science, Technology & Education (JOSTE) 4 (2): 1–9.

Ayonmike, C. S., D. Okuwele, and B. C. Okeke. 2013. “Towards Quality Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Programmes in Nigeria: Challenges and Improvement Strategies.” NVETA 2013 Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Ayonmike, C. S., and B. C. Okeke. 2018. “Making Technical Vocational Education and Training First Career Choice in Africa: What Can Stakeholders Do Differently?” Paper presented at the 2018 International Vocational Education and Training Association (IVETA) World TVET Conference, August 13–16, Cape Town, South Africa.

Ayua, T. S., and D. A. Nerkar. 2004. “Technical and Vocational Education for Self-Reliance in Contemporary Nigeria Society.” Benue State University Journal of Education 1 (1): 25–27.

Baah-Boateng, W., and D. Baffour-Awuah. 2015. “Skills Development for Economic Transformation in Ghana.” African Centre for Economic Transformation. https://includeplatform.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/GTF-Skills-Development-in-Ghana-SR-formatted.compressed-1.pdf

Baffour-Awuah, D., and S. Thompson. 2012. “A Holistic Approach to Technical and Vocational Skills Development (TVSD) Policy and Governance Reform: The Case of Ghana.” ADEA Triennale. https://www.adeanet.org/clearinghouse/en/holistic-approach-technical-and-vocational-skills-development-tvsd-policy-and-governance-reform-case

Banerjee, A., and S. Chaudhury. 2010. “Statistics without Tears: Populations and Samples.” Industrial Psychiatry Journal 19 (1): 60–65. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-6748.77642

Bewaji, J. I. 2013. “A Depressing Story on the Disconnect between Nigeria Tertiary Institutions and the Reality of Life after Graduation.” Rise Networks. Accessed May 7, 2014. www.risenetworks.org

Chan, A. P., D. W. Chan, and K. S. Ho. 2003. “Partnering in Construction: Critical Study of Problems for Implementation.” Journal of Management in Engineering 19 (3): 126–135. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0742-597X(2003)19:3(126)

Dzeto, K. G. 2014. “Projecting Ghana into the Real Middle-Income Economy: The Role of Technical, Vocational Education Training.” Parliamentary Briefing Paper, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Ghana. https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/ghana/11300.pdf

Enyekit, E. O., and K. S. Enyenihi. 2007. “Projecting Nigeria into the End of the First Quarter (25) Years of the 21st Century in Vocational Technical Education.” African Journal of Education and Research Development 1 (1): 2–8.

Essel, O. Q., E. Agyarkoh, M. S. Sumaila, and P. D. Yankson. 2014. “TVET Stigmatization in Developing Countries: Reality or Fallacy?” European Journal of Training and Development Studies 1 (1): 27–42.

European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. 2013. Benefits of Vocational Education and Training in Europe for People, Organisations and Countries. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2801/18161

European Commission. 2013. The Effectiveness and Costs-Benefits of Apprenticeships: Results of the Quantitative Analysis. Brussels: European Commission.

Glick, P. J., C. Huang, and N. Mejia. 2015. The Private Sector and Youth Skills and Employment Programs in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Washington, DC: World Bank.

GPE and UNESCO International Institution for Educational Planning. 2015. “Guidelines for

Education Sector Plan Preparation.” Accessed November 18, 2019.

www.globalpartnership.org/content/guidelines-education-sector-plan-preparation

Hanushek, E. A., G. Schwerdt, L. Woessmann, and L. Zhang. 2017. “General Education, Vocational Education and Labor Market Outcomes over the Life-Cycle.” Journal of Human Resources 52 (1): 48–87. https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.52.1.0415-7074R

Idris, A., and Y. Mbudai. 2017. “Technical and Vocational Education: Challenges towards Youths Empowerment in Kano State-Nigeria.” Journal of Technical Education and Training (JTET) 9 (1): 1–12.

Kemevor, A. K., and J. K. Kassah. 2015. “Challenges of Technical and Vocational Education and Training and Educational Stakeholders in the Volta Region of Ghana.” International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE) 2 (6): 70–79.

Kim, B. M. 2013. “Estimating Returns to Vocational Education at High Schools in Korea.” Department of Economics, University of Southern California. Accessed November 21, 2017. https://dornsife.usc.edu/assets/sites/474/docs/BoMKim_2013_vh.pdf

King, K., and R. Palmer. 2010. Planning for Technical and Vocational Skills Development. Paris: UNESCO, International Institute for Educational Planning.

Kissi, E., D. K. Ahadzie, C. Debrah, and T. Adjei-Kumi. 2020. “Underlying Strategies for Improving Entrepreneurial Skills Development of Technical and Vocational Students in Developing Countries: Using Ghana as a Case Study.” Education + Training 62 (5): 599–614. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-11-2019-0264

Lawal, A. W. 2010. “Re-branding Vocational and Technical in Nigeria for Sustainable National Development, Problems and Prospect.” Paper presented at the 1st National Conference of School of Business Education, Federal College of Education (Technical) Bichi, November 1–4, 2010.

Lawal, W. A. 2013. “Technical and Vocational Education, a Tool for National Development in Nigeria.” Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 4 (8): 85–89. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n8p85

Maclean, R., and M. Pavlova. 2013. “Vocationalization of Secondary and Higher Education: Pathways to the World of Work.” In Revisiting Global Trends in TVET: Reflections on Theory and Practice, edited by UNESCO-UNEVOC, 40–85. Bonn: UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

Maiga, E. 2013. “Making Skills Development Work for Economic Transformation in Africa: Demystifying the Suit and De-Stigmatizing Vocational and Technical Education.” Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: National Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Strategy. http://acetforafrica.org/making-skills-developmentwork-for-economic-transformation-in-africa-demystifying-the-suit-and-de-stigmatizingvocational-and-technical-education/06-2013/

Mao, C., Q. Shen, W. Pan, and K. Ye. 2015. “Major Barriers to Off-Site Construction: The Developer’s Perspective in China.” Journal of Management in Engineering 31 (3): 04014043. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)ME.1943-5479.0000246

McGrath, S. 2012. “Vocational Education and Training for Development: A Policy in Need of a Theory?” International Journal of Educational Development 32 (5) 623–631.

McWilliam, H. O. A., and F. A. Kwamena-Poh. 1975. The Development of Education in Ghana. London: Longman.

Ministry of Education. 2018. “Education Sector Analysis 2018.” Accessed November 16, 2019. http://sapghana.com/data/documents/Ghana-Education-Sector-Analysis-2018.pdf

Mohammed, B. 2020. “Challenges TVET Graduates Face during School to Work Transition in Selected Technical Universities in Ghana.” Journal of Arts and Humanities 9 (6): 112–123.

Neuman, S., and A. Ziderman. 1999. “Vocational Education in Israel: Wage Effects of the VocEd-Occupation Match.” Journal of Human Resources 34 (2): 407–420. https://doi.org/10.2307/146351

Ning, F., and T. Shunde. 2013. “Innovations in Workforce Training Programs in Ghana Using Pay for Performance Contract.” M-RCBG Associate Working Paper Series No. 20, Harvard University. https://live.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/centers/mrcbg/files/Fu_Tu_Final.pdf

Nwosu, J. C., and E. M. Micah. 2017. “Technical and Vocational Education and Training as a Tool for National Sustainable Development in Nigeria.” The International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention 4 (9): 3983–3988. https://doi.org/10.18535/ijsshi/v4i9.14

Odoom, S. K., E. K. Payne, and D. A. Boateng. 2016. “Prospects of TVET for Ghana’s Industrial Development.” American Journal of Engineering Research (AJER) 5 (7): 280–285.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 2017. Latin American Economic Outlook 2017: Youth, Skills and Entrepreneurship. Paris: OECD. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/development/latin-american-economic-outlook-2017_leo-2017-en

Ogbonda, L., and K. K. Wobi. 2016. “Management Challenges of Technical and Vocational Education in Nigeria for National Development.” International Journal of Education and Evaluation 2 (6): 42–55.

Ogbuanya, T. C., and A. J. Oluwasola. 2015. “Quality Technical, Vocational Education and Training: A Tool for Self-Reliance.” IOSR Journal of Computer Engineering (IOSR-JCE) 17 (1): 30–35.

Oketch, M. O. 2007. “To Vocationalise or Not to Vocationalise? Perspectives on Current Trends and Issues in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Africa.” International Journal of Educational Development 27 (2): 220–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2006.07.004

Onderi, H., J. Ajowi, and G. Malala. 2014. “Restructuring Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) For Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa.” International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations 2 (1): 40–45.

Palmer, R. 2009. “Skills Development, Employment and Sustained Growth in Ghana: Sustainability Challenges.” International Journal of Educational Development 29 (2): 133–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2008.09.007

Palmer, R. 2014. “Technical and Vocational Skills and Post-2015: Avoiding Another Vague Skills Goal?” International Journal of Educational Development 39: 32–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2014.08.007

Plecher, H. 2019. “Ghana: Youth Unemployment Rate from 2008 to 2018.” Accessed June 27, 2019. https://www.statista.com/statistics/812039/youth-unemployment-rate-in-ghana/

Ryan, P. 2001. “The School-to-Work Transition: A Cross-National Perspective.” Journal of Economic Literature 39 (1): 34–92. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.39.1.34

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 1984. “Policy Planning and Administration of Technical and Vocational Education in Ghana.” Paris: UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000060985.locale=en

World Bank. 2017. “Fiscal Consolidation to Accelerate Growth and Support Inclusive

Development: Ghana Public Expenditure Review.” Accessed November 16, 2019.

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/27558

Downloads

Published

2024-06-10

How to Cite

Kissi, Ernest, Micheal Adesi, Alex Acheampong, and Ivy Maame Abu. “Exploring Strategies for Rebranding of Technical and Vocational Education in Developing Countries: A Case of Ghanaian Tutors and Administrators”. International Journal of Educational Development in Africa, 22 pages. https://doi.org/10.25159/2312-3540/12224.

Issue

Section

Articles
Received 2022-09-09
Accepted 2024-05-11
Published 2024-06-10