Policy think tank Africa Education Watch has expressed serious concern over the inadequate funding for practical training in Ghana’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions, describing the current allocation as grossly insufficient to produce industry-ready graduates.
In its 2026 First Quarter Education Policy Monitoring report, the organisation revealed that the government allocates only GH¢33 per student annually for practical training under the Free TVET policy.
“Allocating GH¢33 per student for practicals for a whole academic year does not support industry-relevant skills training, as most TVET schools end up conducting only one practical session a month instead of one each week,” the report stated.
According to Africa Education Watch, even these limited practical sessions are often of poor quality due to a lack of adequate resources and materials.
“Even the one practical work is highly compromised,” it added.
The think tank criticised the existing funding model for TVET, which it said is inappropriately modelled after the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) system and fails to account for the significantly higher costs associated with technical and vocational education.
“The current TVET costing framework, which is based on Free SHS, is not fit for purpose, as evidence prior to Free TVET indicates that TVET is at least twice as expensive as general secondary education,” the report explained.
It warned that persisting with the current approach would continue to produce graduates who are rich in theory but deficient in practical competencies — a major complaint from industry players.
“Continuing with this approach only means providing theory-rich skills training in our schools, a major complaint from industry,” the report emphasised.
Africa Education Watch stressed that without urgent reforms to the TVET financing structure, Ghana’s ambition to use the sector as a key driver of industrialisation, economic growth and job creation could be seriously undermined.
The organisation has therefore called on the government to review and overhaul the funding framework for TVET to ensure sufficient investment in practical training, which remains the cornerstone of effective skills development in the sector.