The Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) says it is on course in the planning and implementation of skill development programmes in both the formal and informal sectors of the economy. Ghana’s Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) system aims at improving the productivity and competitiveness of the skilled workforce as well as raise the income generating capacities of people, through the provision of industry-focused and competency-based training programmes. Executive Director of the Council, Dan Baffour-Awuah, says benchmarks in the social-economic status of target beneficiaries would be ascertained within the five-year period of the TVET programme. He however tells Luv FM the Council has made significant progress in one of its operations. “Last year, we sent about 76 students to 20 companies; it’s one of the innovations in competency-based training, where workplace experience forms an integral part of the whole training and I personally went round to sign what we call ‘Memorandum of Partnership and Technical Cooperation’ in the three areas of electronics, welding and fabrication and also piloting HND in Plant Engineering, that is for the formal sector. “For the informal sector, we also have had training for our master crafts persons in garment-making - comprising dressmaking and tailoring, we also have had training for auto-mechanics and we also have had training in cosmetology and we also working to get training for welding and fabrication,” Mr. Baffour-Awuah stated. He acknowledged offering skill training alone will not create employment in the informal sector. Though COTVET is unable to provide trainees with start-up capital and equipment to expand, Mr. Baffour-Awuah tells Luv FM there are arrangements with other funding agencies to lend support. “We need other policies, we need other interventions to be able to create the jobs… unfortunately, our mandate ends at point where we provide the needed skills and competencies for the trainees. Now our idea is to link our training with the source where they can get money for equipment and for working capital,” the COTVET Executive Director said. Meanwhile, Electrical and electronic technicians from across the country have completed a two-week capacity building training programme in Kumasi, under COTVET’s Competency Based Training which supports self-employed master craftsmen to acquire practical skills for employment. The course also sets standards in the training of apprentices in the various trade vocations. Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv Fm/Ghana