Professor William Baah Boateng, Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, University of Ghana, has called for the prioritisation and focus on knowledge and skill acquisition rather than certificates.
He said there should be practical training with case studies without compromising “critical thinking of the mind.” Prof. Boateng was speaking at the Industry-Academia Roundtable Meeting organised by the Design and Technology Institute (DTI) on the theme: “Connecting Skill Sets for the Employability of Students in Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET).”
The meeting sought to identify challenges contributing to the mismatch between graduate skills and industry requirements, particularly in the TVET sector, and explore strategies and incentive structures to increase industry participation in curriculum design, training delivery, and apprenticeship programmes.
It is also to showcase effective collaboration models from Ghana and globally, including DTI’s dual-TVET system and industry-informed training approach, co-create a framework of policy suggestions and practical steps to enhance TVET delivery, infrastructure, and stakeholder collaboration and lay the foundation for long-term partnerships, continuous learning, and a strong ecosystem that supports youth employment and national development.
Effective collaboration between academia and industry is essential to developing a skilled workforce equipped with up-to-date technologies and solutions for societal challenges.
However, many countries continue to experience a significant “industry-academia gap”, a disconnect marked by a lack of mutual understanding between the two sectors.
He said there must be creativity and innovation at the basic level and investment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education like AI, Machine learning, Data Science among others, which should include vocational and technical education.
He said the world of work was dynamic and changing fast and labour needed to be well positioned in line with the changing world and key elements of labour “quality” embodied in skills must always be sharpened in anticipation.
Madam Constance Swaniker, the Founder of DTI, said the consequences of the divide were far-reaching, where graduates, especially from TVET institutions, often lacked job-ready skills, which limited their employability and contributes to high youth unemployment.
She said at the same time, industries struggle to find workers with the appropriate skills, hindering productivity and economic growth.
“Over the past decade, there has been a significant global push to bridge this gap. Countries like China and India have made substantial strides through policy-driven initiatives and programmes,” she said.
She said the situation in Ghana was quite different, because the industry-academia gap was particularly evident among graduates of public technical universities, who often lacked the technical and employability skills required by industry.
“This skills mismatch is attributed to several factors including outdated curricula, instructors lacking competency-based training delivery skills, poorly equipped labs, and limited engagement between academic institutions and employers,” she said.
She said DTIs impact was evident in its 70 per cent employability score (IFC Vitae Assessment), driven by best practices such as co-designed curricula, entrepreneurship training, modern equipment, and industry-experienced facilitators.
Other collaborations have led to the development of a National Precision Quality Policy Framework, designed to raise national standards in production and manufacturing.
These efforts position DTI as a leading force in Africa’s evolving TVET landscape.
Source: GNA
