George Opare Addo and Constance Elizabeth Swaniker pose after signing the MoU
The Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment has signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Design and Technology Institute (DTI) to train young Ghanaians with skills that match what industry actually needs.
The Minister, George Opare Addo, and DTI President, Ms. Constance Elizabeth Swaniker, signed the agreement yesterday in Accra.
The partnership aims to bridge the gap between what young people learn and what employers demand, by expanding practical training, internships, entrepreneurship support, and workplace readiness programmes.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Opare Addo said Ghana’s youthful population is the country’s biggest asset, and investing in their skills is key to industrialisation.
“Too many young people face limited job opportunities, skills mismatch, poor access to information, weak start-up support, and other challenges,” he said. “This collaboration brings government together with an institution that has proven expertise in skills and innovation to fix that.”
What the deal covers
Under the MoU, the Ministry will provide policy direction and coordinate through national youth platforms while DTI will lead on competency-based training, curriculum design, workforce development, and industry partnerships.
The focus areas include technical and vocational education, structured internships, digital skills, and entrepreneurship.
A major part of the programme is the rollout of DTI’s Precision Quality framework. It trains students not just in technical skills, but in professionalism, productivity, discipline, quality, and safety — the soft skills employers keep asking for.
The partnership will also build training in communication, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, customer service, emotional intelligence, and financial literacy. For those who want to start businesses, there will be mentorship, coaching, and business incubation to help more youth become job creators, not just job seekers.
Mr. Opare Addo said the initiative will complement existing youth programmes rather than repeat them.
To sustain it, both the Ministry and DTI will mobilise support from government, development partners, the private sector, and international organisations.
“I’m confident this will translate into real programmes and measurable results,” the Minister added. “We need a skilled, innovative and resilient workforce to drive Ghana’s long-term transformation.”
The three-year collaboration takes effect immediately, with pilot programmes expected to roll out through DTI and partner institutions nationwide.
A Daily Guide Report