Eduwatch Urges Legalisation of National Apprenticeship Programme for Sustainability and Impact

Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) is calling on government to give legal backing to the National Apprenticeship Programme to ensure its long-term sustainability and guard against future political discontinuity.

The call was made during a Young People’s Forum held on Thursday, May 22, 2025, aimed at tackling youth unemployment and closing Ghana’s widening skills gap. The forum, organised by Eduwatch with support from Oxfam and FOSDA, focused on making apprenticeship models more inclusive, green-oriented, and digitally relevant.

In an interview with Eduwatch’s Executive Director, Kofi Asare, he stressed that many past apprenticeship initiatives failed due to weak policy frameworks and lack of institutional support.

“If they remain in conventions, they will not be sustainable. But if we put them into law and also develop consistent budgets to finance them, then we have a structured model,” he said.

He emphasised that sustainability hinges on three key pillars: law, policy, and budget. Without these, he warned, apprenticeship programmes risk being abandoned with each change in government.

Youth, Digital Skills, and Green Transition

The forum brought to light several shortcomings in Ghana’s apprenticeship ecosystem:

• Youth unemployment remains high at 14.7%.
• Only 20% of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students feel digitally prepared.
• A mere 25.6% are aware of green skills, despite emerging opportunities in solar energy, sustainable agriculture, and recycling.
• The system also suffers from gender imbalance, with 74% of TVET enrolments being male, and limited support for persons with disabilities.

Bridging the Gap

Participants proposed bold and practical ideas to reshape apprenticeships in Ghana. These include:

• Introducing AI, robotics, and digital marketing in trade curricula.
• Launching gender-neutral campaigns to encourage female participation.
• Making training centres more accessible and inclusive for persons with disabilities.
• Promoting green skills through partnerships with eco-sector industries.

Eduwatch also urged the youth to contribute innovative ideas toward a reimagined, future-proof apprenticeship framework.

With Ghana seeking sustainable ways to tackle youth unemployment and equip its workforce for a digital and green economy, Eduwatch believes the time has come to transform apprenticeships from temporary interventions into lasting national assets backed by law and guaranteed public funding.

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