British Council fosters ISP between 4 technical universities, 3 EU colleges

The British Council Ghana has fostered an International Skills Partnership (ISP) programme between four of Ghana’s technical universities and three European colleges to help improve the curriculum of these institutions toward effective practical learning.

With young graduates seeking opportunities to not only find work but also create their ventures, the integration of green skills and entrepreneurship into the technical universities’ curriculum and the Technical, Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) system becomes not just relevant, but essential; hence, the initiative.

The four beneficiary institutions include Kumasi Technical University (KsTU), Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU), Dr. Hilla Limann Technical University (DHLTU) and Sunyani Technical University (STU).

While the European counterparts are City of Glasgow College, Edinburgh College- Scotland and Northern Regional College (NRC)-Northern Ireland.

The programme involved the development of entrepreneurship teaching and learning models for some of the institutions and greening Ghana’s TVET system for the others.

The project between DHLTU and Glasgow College, for instance, focuses on embedding an entrepreneurial mindset and skills within the DHLTU curriculum, with key objectives such as to increase the entrepreneurial confidence of students and to develop a bespoke entrepreneurial toolkit inclusive of pedagogical tools which can be embedded in the curriculum.

The others are to provide professional development opportunities and training to lecturers within DHLTU over the current academic year, focusing on enhancing staff confidence in teaching methodologies and subject expertise, as well as to create an entrepreneurial hub – an inclusive community of best practice, networks, fora and external stakeholder agencies.

Alan Reid, Innovation Manager, representative of NRC, who worked with Kumasi Technical University on the project involving ‘Green Hydrogen Technologies’ – a subset of green skills acquisition, mentioned that Ghana has talented human capacity and the natural resources based on its geographic location; and will only require the right training modalities and technological investment to maximise green economic gains.

“Our first call was to identify what the gaps were in Ghana when it comes to green skills acquisition, and we found out that technology has not been well established in the technical universities. Green economy is the direction the world is moving, and it is important to keep an eye on that and invest in that path,” he said.

Director of Programmes and Partnerships at British Council, Richard Shiangbor, speaking at the high-level dissemination event to showcase the outcomes and impact of the ISP initiative, highlighted that in collaboration with key stakeholders in the TVET sector across education and industry, the outcomes can help formulate policies that reflect on the partnership’s achievements and chart future directions for collaborative skills development.

He added that over the past year, the ISP initiative focused on bridging skills gaps in green economy sectors and entrepreneurship education through cross-national collaboration and co-developed training models.

Commissioner for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Zakaria Sulemana, in his remarks, underscored the urgency and relevance of the ISP’s focus on skills and talent development in Ghana’s educational ecosystem.

“The world is changing rapidly. Climate change, environmental degradation and technological disruptions are reshaping industries and livelihoods. At the same time, young people across Ghana and the continent are seeking opportunities. This is where the integration of green skills and entrepreneurship into the TVET system becomes essential,” he stated.

Dr. Eric Kofi Adzroe, Director-General of Ghana TVET Service (GTVETS), praised the British Council for its leadership and sustained commitment to strengthening Ghana’s TVET ecosystem.

He specifically lauded the VET Toolbox project, describing it as a transformative initiative that significantly impacted the sector and contributed to curriculum development. He further called on the British Council to continue convening stakeholders across the public and private sectors.

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