NATIONAL CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Over the years, there has been duplication in the organization and administration of technical and vocational education and training in Ghana due to the delivery of technical and vocational education and training by a proliferation of institutions and organizations. To remedy this situation, the Government decided to rationalize the entire system of technical and vocational education and training in the country.

Establishment of Co-ordinating Body:

Accordingly, the National Co-ordinating Committee for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NACVET) was established in 1990 to formulate policies and co-ordinate all aspects of technical and vocational education and training, and to advise on a scheme and structure of technical and vocational education and training that would meet the requirements of the Ghanaian economy and also make the youth employable in both the formal and informal sectors. Another crucial function of NACVET is the rationalization of the evaluation, testing, assessment and accreditation procedures of the system of technical and vocational education.

NACVET operates through 8 technical sub-committees dealing with specific subjects as follows:

a) Technician Education and Training Programmes
b) Craft Education and Training Programmes
c) Technical Teacher Education and Instructor Training Programmes
d) Examinations and Accreditation
e) Manpower Planning and Collaboration with Industry and Commerce
f) Vocational/Career Guidance and Counselling
g) International cooperation
h) Tools, Equipment and materials Procurement and Supplies.

Some of the major achievments of NACVET since its inception include the following:

i) Policy on technical and vocational education has been developed

ii) National Occupational Standards (NOS) have for the first time been established for some trade areas in Ghana by a corps of professionals. In this connection, syllabuses in the form of Modules of Employable Skills (MES) based on the NOS are being developed for 40 relevant trade areas under the auspices of the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare and the UNDP/ILO Umbrella Programme for Sustained Employment Generation. The Umbrella Programme, which is made up of three components, aims at promoting and sustaining employment policies and programmes through:

a) enhanced Government capacity to plan and monitor employment policies;

b) more effective skill development and utilization in support of employment promotion; and

c) the development of micro and small enterprises programmes.

iii) Under the auspices of this Umbrella programme NACVET has embarked on re-orienting technical and vocational education towards self-employment. In furtherance of this, enterpreneurial education is being integrated into the curriculum for the technical and vocational institutions.

Arrangements are in progress towards establishing, upon the appropriate legislation, a National Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NACVET), to replace the existing National Co-ordinating Committee for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.