Three-year collaboration to strengthen industry-led skills development, entrepreneurship and workplace readiness

The Minister for Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare Addo, and the President of the Design and Technology Institute (DTI), Constance Elizabeth Swaniker, on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, signed a landmark three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at building an industry-ready workforce capable of driving Ghana's industrialisation and economic transformation.

The strategic partnership between the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment (MYDE) and DTI seeks to align youth skills development with the evolving needs of industry by expanding access to practical training, entrepreneurship, internships and workplace readiness programmes.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, George Opare Addo described the collaboration as a strategic investment in Ghana's future, stressing that the country's youthful population remains its greatest national asset and that equipping young people with relevant skills, values and opportunities is essential to national development.

He observed that many young Ghanaians continue to grapple with challenges including limited labour market opportunities, inadequate access to information, skills mismatch, weak technology and start-up support, and youth health concerns. According to him, addressing these challenges requires stronger collaboration between government and institutions with proven expertise in skills development and innovation.

Under the agreement, MYDE will provide policy leadership and coordinate implementation through national youth development platforms, while DTI will contribute its expertise in competency-based training, curriculum innovation, workforce development and industry engagement.

The collaboration will expand opportunities in technical and vocational education, structured internships, entrepreneurship development and digital skills training to ensure that young people acquire competencies that respond to the demands of today's labour market.

A key pillar of the partnership is the adoption of DTI's Precision Quality™ framework, which promotes professionalism, productivity, quality consciousness, workplace discipline and safety. The framework is expected to produce graduates who are not only technically competent but also equipped with the work ethic and professional standards increasingly required by employers.

The programme will also focus on strengthening communication, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, customer service, emotional intelligence and financial literacy to enhance the overall employability of young people. Entrepreneurship support, mentorship, coaching and business incubation will equally form part of the collaboration to encourage more youth to become job creators.

The Minister noted that the partnership would complement existing national youth development initiatives by fostering greater collaboration and expanding opportunities rather than duplicating ongoing interventions.

To ensure sustainability, both institutions will jointly mobilise support from government, development partners, the private sector and international organisations to scale up youth-focused skills and employment programmes. Mr. Opare Addo expressed confidence that the partnership would translate into practical programmes and measurable outcomes that would produce a skilled, innovative and resilient workforce capable of supporting Ghana's long-term socio-economic transformation.