Wa Technical Institute in the Upper West Region has commissioned a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Training Centre expected to equip about 100 electrical trainees with practical renewable energy skills within a year.
The facility, established under the EU-Ghana Pact for Skills Integrated Action on Green Jobs and Skills, is supported by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in collaboration with the Ghana TVET Service and other partners.
The initiative is expected to improve practical training in solar installation, maintenance and troubleshooting, preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship in Ghana’s growing green economy.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Member of Parliament for Wa Central and Minister of State in charge of Special Initiatives at the Presidency, Dr Hassan Rashid Pelpuo, said the investment would strengthen the link between technical education, renewable energy and decent employment.
He said the facility’s success would be measured by the quality of training and the opportunities created for graduates.
“The real test of this investment will not be what we see at the ceremony but what follows: the quality of training provided, the competence of graduates, the services we provide and opportunities they can create,” Dr Pelpuo said.
He urged the institute and its partners to integrate the equipment into regular practical lessons and ensure instructors receive the support needed to deliver effective training.
Dr Pelpuo also called for sustained monitoring to assess students’ practical competencies, workplace experience and transition into employment or self-employment.
Team leader, Governance and Security at the European Union Delegation to Ghana, Gisela Spreitzhofer, said the project formed part of broader EU-Ghana cooperation to strengthen technical and vocational education and training, address youth unemployment and respond to changing labour market demands.
She said equipping students with practical skills was critical to ensuring they could meet employers’ expectations after completing their studies.
“This is exactly the logic behind our support to the TVET system: providing modern equipment for hands-on learning, strengthening instructors’ capacities, improving curricula, promoting competency-based training and building partnerships with industry,” Dr Phala said.
She added that green and digital skills were becoming increasingly important as the global economy shifted towards cleaner energy and technology-driven industries.
Spreitzhfer said the initiative would help prepare young people for emerging employment opportunities while contributing to Ghana’s green transition.
The Country Director for the International Labour Organisation (ILO), DR Vanessa Phala-Mop, said the project went beyond providing equipment, combining modern solar PV training facilities with instructor development, curriculum support, practical installation exercises and improved digital connectivity.
She said approximately 100 electrical trainees were expected to benefit from the facility within a year.
“The success of this facility should therefore not be measured simply by the quality of the equipment that we have employed and installed. It should be measured by the number of the young people who gain useful skills, who complete quality training, and move into employment, or create employment themselves and become entrepreneurs,” Dr Vanessa stated.
She also called for greater participation of women in renewable energy and other technical occupations, stressing that the green transition must create opportunities for both men and women.
The Acting Regional Director of the Ghana TVET Service and Principal of Wa Technical Institute, Saaka Adams, said the new facility would address longstanding limitations in the practical training of electrical and electronic students.
He explained that instructors had previously relied heavily on textbooks, marker boards and outdated equipment to teach concepts that required hands-on demonstrations.
“Imagination alone cannot make a technician. At some point, hands must touch wires, and eyes must watch a system come alive,” Mr Adams said.
He described the centre as a major investment in the future of learners and the institute, noting that instructors had undergone training to enable them to operate the equipment and transfer their knowledge to learners.
The institute plans to train approximately 100 electrical trainees within the year, with management committing to maintaining the equipment, pursuing the necessary accreditation for its solar PV programme and establishing partnerships with renewable energy companies.
Despite the milestone, Mr Adams appealed to the EU and the ILO to support the extension of solar power to the entire training building.
He explained that the current project had provided solar power for only one classroom, although the building contains about eight classrooms.
The Principal also appealed for support to renovate the girls’ dormitory and provide additional sanitation facilities for female students.
The commissioning ceremony included symbolic tree planting, reflecting the institute’s commitment to environmental sustainability and the integration of green practices into technical education.
The partners say the ultimate objective is to produce competent technicians who can support renewable energy development, create employment and contribute to Ghana’s green transition.
Story by Ibrahim Wangara
