TVET careers
Did you know that there are several career options for learners who opt for TVET? You can also pursue TVET up to the Doctorate Level on the National TVET Qualifications Framework. The newly introduced TVET programme is one of such a brilliant and a laudable programme that could happen to the Ghanaian Technical/Vocational educational system.
Considering the backdrop of:
- The unfavourable desire for Technical/Vocational education among the youth leading to low patronage.
- The socio-educational stigmatised environment in Technical/Vocational education.
- Less value placement on its certification in industry.
- The socio-economic challenges upon graduating from a Technical/Vocational institution.
In lieu of the above-mentioned factors, it will require a comprehensive strategic marketing, communication and a rebranding approach backed with a policy framework to reset the mindset of the society, parents and pupils/students to appreciate and buy into the new TVET programme in order to achieve its maximum potential impact and objectives.
The Council for Technical Vocational Education and Training CTVET has a brilliant product (programme) that can transform the economic laurels of this country in the area of Entrepreneurship and Employability. However, its implementation processes in the area of marketing, communication and rebranding modules in my opinion needs much to be desired.
There seems to be a huge gap of engagement between the populace who are the target group (potential customers) and TVET (service provider) and its communication team.
For example, the CTVET/TVET seems to stand at one side of the divide as a (service provider) and their target audience (customers/public) also seems to be standing at the other end with no engagements. The communication team seems to be just INFORMING the populace of the good initiative/programme and its viability without ENGAGING them to appreciate their concerns and addressing them.
It must be noted that, the problem being dealt with in the TVET Education drive is not limited to curricular, students and industry but a societal issue which must consider parents and the entire society in its rebranding effort. Because stigmatisation has a societal connotation.
The whole programme must be seen as a new product in a new market that requires a market penetration strategy to appeal to the people to accept the product as a result of the societal myth towards Technical/Vocational Education.
Hence it requires a lot more publicity, public engagements by expert and experienced knowledgeable personalities who have demonstrable capabilities and influence in the sector and industry to speak to issues that could be convincing enough to change the mindset of individuals and societal perception towards Technical/Vocational Education and works within the Informal sector.
The existing rebranding efforts also need to be reviewed if only there could be any meaningful impact made to transform the mindset of the people towards TVET. This is because, it is a socio/cultural – educational challenge and not a socio-economic challenge.
As a beneficiary of technical education in Ghana, it came to me as joy to know that, one can now pursue a Technical Educational programme to the doctorate level. A laudable initiative but silent out there! This information for instance, should be loud out there for many people to know and create more awareness. Because I believe there are many more people out there who are not preview to this information and many more, under the new reformed TVET programmes.
>>>The writer is the Lead Facilitator at SESIL Entrepreneurial Coffee Session, an informal, practical entrepreneurial information and idea sharing platform, meant to guide and unlock challenges confronting entrepreneurs for growth and sustainability, through human capital development. He can be reached on 0264-790290 || 0249 666685 or www.sesilcoffeesession.com, www.sesill.com
