Ashanti Regional Head of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is advocating a restructuring of concepts underpinning TVET to be targeted at the GrEEn and circular economy. 

Richard Addo Gyamfi says the emergence of global and local environmentally-friendly technologies would require persons with specialised technical know-how in the sector. 

He was speaking at the 2023 SNV GREEN Regional Trade Show held in Kumasi.

“The European Union wants to phase out fossil fuel vehicles and introduce environmentally-friendly including Electric vehicles. So, there is a need for us to focus on training people who can work on these vehicles. We need to look at programmes in the green sector so people can go for such jobs,” he said.

He added that: “We need to inculcate environmental consciousness in people. How people can work and manage their waste. There are a lot of opportunities in the green sector.”

The 2023 GrEEn Regional Job Fair brought together over 40 businesses from the green value chain in WASH, Agriculture and Renewable energy.

Themed: “Career Prospects in TVET: The Nexus of Green Jobs for Inclusive Transformational Development”, the trade show aimed at supporting green jobs creation and solutions in TVET. 

In 2021, the government commissioned the Ghana National Green Jobs Strategy targeted at harmonising green interventions, building green skills and jobs for the youth, and green financing.  

Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Ignatius Baffour Awuah re-echoed the need to streamline the concepts of TVET.

“The policy gives a background of transitioning from the brown to green economy which is making waves around the world accompanied by the emergence of new jobs and the waning of some old jobs. In this regard, it is high time to rethink the concept of TVET to ensure that it is responsive to these changing trends and demands,” said a statement read by the Director of Finance and Administration at the ministry.

The 2023 green trade show is the last organised by SNV in preparation for ending the implementation of the GrEEn Project by the close of the year. 

Since its inception, SNV Ghana has organised a total of 14 job fairs; 8 local and 6 regional events in both Ashanti and Western regions. 

Project Manager of the SNV Green Project, Laouali Sadda indicated the trade show provides an opportunity for employability.

“People cannot access jobs if they do not have TVET training. Under the programme, there are two components: youth skills development and SMEs. Through the skills development, people could seek employability and others for entrepreneurship,” he said.

Ashanti Regional Director of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mahmuda Osman says the ministry is committed to the sustainability of businesses under the Green programme.

“We’re not only interested in these businesses being established. But more importantly, we are interested in the sustainability of these businesses. We want to see them outlive their owners,” he said.

In the last four years of its implementation, the European Union funded GrEEn project – an initiative of the SNV Netherlands Development Organization – provided financial and skills support to local businesses and the youth.

The GrEEn Regional Job Fair in the Ashanti Region was in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Ghana TVET Service, Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Labour Department, and the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs.