The Minister of Education, Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, has expressed deep concern over the persistently low enrolment of girls in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across Ghana.
Speaking during a monitoring visit to several examination centres in the Eastern Region on Monday, June 30, 2025, where the ongoing TVET examinations are underway, Mr. Iddrisu highlighted the gender disparity as a significant obstacle to both national development and gender equity in the workforce.
“More than 55,000 students are participating in this year’s TVET examinations, but only 14,000 of them are female,” he revealed. “This isn’t just a statistic—it’s a wake-up call. We cannot build a resilient, inclusive economy when half the population remains underrepresented in critical skilled sectors.”
The Minister, who also serves as Member of Parliament for Tamale South, emphasized the enormous potential TVET programmes hold for job creation, especially in light of the growing demand for skilled labour locally and abroad.
He stressed the importance of implementing deliberate, targeted policies to encourage more girls to explore opportunities in technical and vocational fields, which he described as viable paths to employment and entrepreneurship.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to achieving gender balance in education, Mr. Iddrisu called on all stakeholders—school authorities, parents, educators, and industry leaders—to collaborate in changing the prevailing narrative.
“Promoting girls’ participation in TVET is not just about equity; it’s about building the future workforce our economy desperately needs,” he added.
