This study examined the major obstacles affecting the performance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges in Ghana and assessed their implications for student learning and employability. A mixed-methods approach was used, drawing on survey data from 120 students and 30 instructors, supported by semi-structured interviews and direct observations across five institutions. The findings showed that inadequate training resources were a central challenge, with more than 60% of students reporting insufficient equipment. Observational assessments indicated that some institutions operated with less than 40% of their workshop tools functional. Teaching quality was similarly constrained, as 56% of respondents felt instructors were overstretched and unable to provide adequate practical supervision. Industry engagement was limited, with only 35% of students gaining industrial exposure. Meanwhile, industry partners noted that the curricula lagged behind workplace technologies by three to five years. Public perception remained a significant barrier, with 75% of students indicating that TVET was viewed as inferior to general education. These structural and perceptual constraints weakened student confidence, reflected in only 45% feeling prepared for employment upon graduation. The study concluded that meaningful improvements in TVET require coordinated reforms across infrastructure.

Authors:
Stella Daah Siaw, Wesley College of Education, Ghana
Agnes Abankwah, Wesley College of Education, Ghana
Faustina Busumbru, St Louis College of Education, Ghana

About the Presenter(s)
Stella Daah Siaw is an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of TVET, Wesley College of Education, Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. She holds two Masters of Philosophy degree (MPhil) in Home Economics from the University of Cape Coast and (MPhil) in Fashion Design and Textiles from Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi Ghana. She is currently a PHD student in Fashion design technology at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Her research interests include compliance to global best practices, sustainability in the fashion industry, and supply chain management in the fashion industry, technologies used in apparel production.

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