Dissertation
Integration of the digital age for TVET in Africa
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- TVET and its initiatives in Ghana
Integration of the digital age for TVET in AfricaBringing the digital age and e-learning methods into TVET can help improve quality, create new technologies, reach more people, and give more people access to learning opportunities. But putting technology-mediated learning into place requires digitally rich curricula, reliable electricity and computer infrastructure, high-speed internet access, a change in how the institution approaches education, and enough money to cover operational, maintenance, and equipment replacement costs.(Africa Union, 2020) Many African nations have crafted digital age policies and are mobilising resources to build out their digital infrastructure, but they are making slow progress. To successfully navigate the policy-to-practical-learning experience transition, significant financial investments and government-industry partnerships are required. However, it is worthwhile to invest in this area of technology so that Africa can catch up to the rest of the world (Gyimah, 2020; Afeti, 2017). TVET and its initiatives in GhanaThe goals of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) are numerous. Training youth for employment is a primary objective. This is accomplished through the acquisition and development of work-related skills and the mastery of basic knowledge and scientific principles (Spöttl et al., 2021). Work is defined broadly and hence includes both official employment and self- employment. To promote self-employment, TVET programs frequently incorporate training in entrepreneurship. This idea has to do with how occupations and jobs change over time and how they affect society. TVET also includes ways to improve skills that are based on national and local needs. Literacy and math skills, transferable skills, and a sense of civic responsibility are all important parts of TVET education (Shahroni et al., 2022). There has been an increase in TVET's concentration on training knowledge workers to deal with post-industrial human resource needs and the changing world of work as a result of this transition from the Industrial Age to the Information Age. Continuous professional growth has a similar function. Rapid advancements in technology necessitate workers to constantly upgrade their knowledge and skills (Jaiswal et al., 2022). TVET offers this choice in two different ways. One is giving broad technical knowledge and cross-disciplinary skills as a foundation for various occupations. The second is giving employees access to ongoing vocational training. In the global economy of today, workers have to keep reinventing themselves. This is different from the industrial model of the past economy. Rapid developments in technology and related methods of work characterize the knowledge-based global economy (Ivanova Boncheva, 2021). Strategic partnerships between institutions, students, and industries are regarded as the educational mode's basic identity. Specific goals of such a partnership include technical training for students such as engineers, scientists' endorsement of businesses, collaborative courses and research centres, and consultations. The government's education white paper, published in October 2004, urged extensive changes to Ghana's TVET system, which is now undergoing such changes. The white paper states that "there should be a radical revolution in the quality of TVET graduates produced by TVET providers, and TVET should be seen as a genuine alternative to general education," as the white paper states (Aryeetey et al., 2021). The Government of Ghana established the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) in 2006, which was later changed to the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) on April 20, 2022. This is to formulate policies to enhance the quality, relevance, and perception of technical and vocational education and training in Ghana in pursuit of this radical transformation through an Act of Parliament (Ayee, 2022). It was also tasked with formulating skills development policies and developing the TVET system in order to "improve the productivity and competitiveness of the skilled workforce and raise the income-generating capacities of workers through the provision of quality-oriented, industry-focused, competency-based training programmes and complementary services." Coordination of the activities of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Manpower, Youth, and Employment is one of CTVET's primary challenges (Ministry of Education, 2009). Since the enactment of the CTVET Act, increasing efforts have been made to create a more favourable policy and legal framework for TVET to flourish. It was proposed that CTVET and its associated organisations, such as NVTI and the Opportunity Industrialization Centre, collaborate more effectively when it comes to expanding the technical and vocational education and training industry. The new radical reform adds CBT as a delivery method for TVET in Ghana. This CTVET CBT programme is an innovative new outcome-based credential that is being created in collaboration with industry experts. According to (Aryeetey et al., 2021), this new programme will train individuals for self-employment in addition to providing the type of workers the industry needs. Danquah & Awuah (2011), also stressed that the system's purpose is to assure the delivery of excellent TVET in Ghana in order to contribute to the country's social and economic development. As part of its objective to harmonise and institutionalise a quality CBT-TVET system in Ghana, CTVET has established three standing committees to establish a TVET qualification framework to specify training standards and competences, as well as to offer registration and accreditation services. These committees are the National TVET Qualification Committee (NTVETQC), the Training Quality Assurance Committee (TQAC), and the Industrial Training Advisory Committee (ITAC). CTVET has organised a variety of courses and workshops to assist the standing committees and board members in preparing strategies for the complete transition to CBT-TVET. The TQAC has completed the registration and accreditation requirements for piloting institutions, as well as the future deployment of CBT by TVET providers. NTVETQC has also developed a number of guidance documents for awarding bodies. In addition, a Skill Development Fund (SDF) has been established as a challenge fund to ensure the sustainability of TVET financing. The government of Ghana, other donor partners, and CTVET are brainstorming on the mechanisms to promote capacity building through the skills development fund in order to make TVET more appealing to Ghanaian youth (Jumpah et al., 2022). CTVET, in partnership with international partners such as JICA and ECOWAS, has organised institutional capacity development courses for chosen TVET curriculum development specialists in Ghana in order to better position training providers (institutions) to offer CBT training successfully. The emphasis was on developing the skills of TVET teachers, ministry representatives, policymakers, and curriculum development specialists. The aim is to demonstrate that the ECOWAS region has the ability to adopt innovative TVET reforms. Download 2.1 Mb. Share with your friends:
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