TVET competency-based training curricula standardised
All existing Competency-Based Training (CBT) curricula in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) space have been standardised to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
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The CBT curricula, assessment tools and learning materials are collaboratively developed with input from industry experts, academia and relevant stakeholders. So far, the commission, in collaboration with Sector Skills Bodies (SSBs), has developed 108 CBT curricula at various levels on the National TVET Qualifications Framework (NTVETQF), while an additional 115 CBT curricula are currently being developed.
“This approach prioritises individual learner competence over group performance, with each learner deemed proficient upon meeting the established standards,” the Director-General of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET), Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, explained.
Competency-Based Training
Dr Asamoah, who announced this at a media engagement on curriculum development and printing of training manuals for TVET learners in Accra yesterday, added that aligned with the overarching sector strategy, the commission had embraced the CBT as the mode of delivery.
“The CBT is an outcome-oriented approach to education and training, aligning learners' education with industry standards,” he explained. To ensure quality, Dr Asamoah said the commission collaborated with the industry to review all the processes to ensure that the education remained relevant and responsive to industry demands.
He explained that the current CBT curriculum development was designed to address skills gaps with the support of sector skills bodies. Taking journalists through the commission’s approach to curriculum development, he said it involved reaching out to industries through their SSBs for tasks such as occupational standards generation, validation, curriculum development and other engagements related to TVET.
Sector skills bodies
Dr Asamoah explained that the SSBs were advisory industry bodies that aimed to support the government's strategy to build a skills system that produced a demand-driven, robust labour market and skills intelligence.
“In essence, SSBs consist of related major industries or enterprises under a common structure, working to drive growth and competitiveness within their sector. “The primary function of SSBs is to reform skills development in Ghana and globally by strengthening the linkages between industry and training systems. Additionally, they play a crucial role in driving the professional practices of their respective sectors,” Dr Asamoah further explained.
He said as of 2023, the number of economic sectors identified by the Ministry of Education through the commission had increased from 22 to 24. “The total number of established SSBs as of 2023 is 12.
Among the remaining 12 sectors, four, - Environment, Sanitation and Waste Management; Media and Entertainment; Telecommunication; and Electricals, Electronics, and Automation - are currently in the process of establishment,” Dr Asamoah told journalists.
The DG said the development of the CBT curriculum was a fulfilment of a pledge by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that it was the goal of his government to make Ghana a world-class centre for skills development and a leading country in TVET delivery in Africa.
“Today, we are witnesses to that pledge being fulfilled. Not only are curriculums being developed, we have also taken an additional step to print training materials (textbooks) for the use by the learners in the various TVET institutions which they will receive for free,” he stated.
Dr Asamoah also announced that in line with the alignment, more than 8,000 TVET instructors had undergone training in the CBT approach.