Trades Training for Women

WEE-NORTH collaborates with 10 Premier Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions at the secondary level, 3 technical universities, and 4 private training schools in northern Ghana to offer high-quality, intensive training in selected industrial trades to young women in northern Ghana. To achieve this, WEE-North has worked closely with these institutions to deliver competency-based industrial trades training programs in safe, well-equipped workshops. Currently, young women have the option to train in carpentry, welding, bricklaying, tiling, electrical and solar installation, small engine repair, plumbing, plastering, painting, and vinyl and artificial grass installation.

In some cases, WEE-North invested in upgrades to existing workshop facilities and equipment to offer the training. An intensive short course curriculum was developed for each trade using master tradesmen and TVET subject matter experts. The courses are designed to be delivered in 8 weeks of intensive competency-based training. Health and safety objectives are integrated into the curriculum. The course consists of 36 hours of practical instruction each week for 8 weeks, with 6 hours per week of empowerment training focusing on fundamental business skills, job readiness, and personal development. To ensure instructors are well-prepared technically, WEE-NORTH delivers a Training of Trainers program led by certified master trainers. Instructors receive training in Gender-Responsive Pedagogy to ensure a quality learning experience that addresses any unique challenges women may face in acquiring industrial skills.

Upon completing the program, trainees are assessed by the Government’s TVET Service at the Proficiency 1 level. Passing this assessment after two months of intensive training earns them a certificate, enhancing their employability for decent jobs.

All trainees graduate fully equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) and toolkits for their trade, with the contents carefully chosen by previous graduates who identify the most suitable and high-quality tools. Many successful trainees proceed to gain practical Workplace Experience Learning placements before securing full-time or contract employment. Some even choose to pursue further studies in the trades at universities, often financing their education by working part-time on construction sites or in repair work.

Workplace Experience Learning

WEE-NORTH collaborates with over 100 businesses in Ghana to provide Workplace Experience Learning (WEL) to young tradeswomen upon the completion of their training. Creating a positive on-the-job learning experience is essential for the success of women in their future jobs. The project works closely with trades businesses and employers throughout Northern Ghana to match female trainees with appropriate businesses.

Our approach focuses on placing newly trained tradeswomen as near to their homes as possible, allowing them to become familiar with local industries and contribute to their regional economies. The majority of industries in the North are small to medium-sized, although the project has also partnered with a few larger companies in the South of Ghana. All industry partners enter into agreements that ensure each tradeswoman receives a safe and high-quality on-the-job training experience.

To support their transition to the workforce, many businesses have continued with apprenticeships and employment. Trainees benefits during their practical internships in actual industrial settings, often accessing more advanced machinery and equipment, allowing them to learn while fulfilling real client orders and contracts under the supervision of master craftsmen. They produce goods and provide services, further building on their training experience. These practical internships are a crucial step toward gainful employment in the trades. While most internships last for one month, many women choose to continue with these companies, gaining additional valuable on-the-job experience as apprentices or employees.

Prior to receiving WEE-North trainees, industry hosts receive gender-sensitive workplace training to better understand the unique challenges faced by young women in Northern Ghana. Industry partners are encouraged to acknowledge and challenge gender stereotypes, inspiring women to achieve their fullest potential in the trades.  Workplace learning placements are closely monitored by WEE-North staff.  

Group Employment

In Northern Ghana, the women working in the industrial trades is unprecedented, which is why WEE-North believes in providing ongoing support to newly trained tradeswomen. In an economic context where the unemployment rate of young women is high –  forming employment groups strengthens women’s cohesiveness and access to networking and other opportunities. Fifty-five (55) Women’s Economic Empowerment Groups (WEE-Groups) have been formed with representation from all 55 districts across Northern Ghana: one in each district. Efforts have been made to ensure that all trades are well-represented in the groups, creating multi-trade associations. WEE-North hopes these groups will become the first women’s trade groups in Northern Ghana.

WEE-Groups are mentored by experienced tradeswomen, the majority of who run their own trades business. They are joined by successful WEE-North graduates who have (since their training) established their own businesses in the trades. WEE-North has trained 25 tradeswomen in mentorship and coaching as mentors for the 55 groups. Finding 25 qualified and experienced tradeswomen to serve as mentors was no easy feat as their numbers are few in the north.

WEE-Groups function as independent group employment entities with the ability to form agreements and partnerships with any organization or agency to enhance their potential as tradeswomen in the workforce and as advocates for women in the industrial trades. Each group has its own leadership and a set of activities: WEE-Make, WEE-Fix, WEE-Save, WEE-Train, WEE-Lead, and WEE-Give (please refer to the downloadable PDF for more details). All 55 groups collectively form the WEE-North Network, an organization of tradeswomen throughout Northern Ghana. Local District Assemblies and contractors are enthusiastic about the presence of WEE-Groups in their areas.  Apart from providing employment opportunities, District Assemblies have offered land and buildings to WEE-Groups for their workshops.

Working with Government

WEE-North operates under the leadership of the Ministry of Education, specifically the TVET Service for implementation at secondary cycle technical Institutes, and the Commission for TVET (CTVET) for the purpose of WEE-North’s work supporting regulation and promotion of TVET at all levels.  TVET Service has five offices in Northern Ghana:  Tamale in Northern Region, Bolgatanga in Upper East Region, Wa in Upper West Region, Damongo in Savannah Region, and Walewale in Northeast Region.  Although the project does not yet implement in TVETs in Savannah or Northeast Regions, we have a close relationship with all TVET Service offices because we recruit young women from all regions.  WEE-North has collaborated with the Commission for (CTVET) to bring the ‘MY TVET’ campaign to junior high schools in Northern and Northeast Regions, supporting and monitoring TVET Clubs.  The project has also supported the dissemination of CTVET’s new Apprenticeship Policy to 100 of our industry partners and sponsored three national TVET promotion events held in Accra, including Women and TVET Forum.   

Other important government allies include the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ghana Education Service, the Youth Employment Agency, Ghana Enterprises Agency, and the National Entrepreneurship Innovations Program (NEIP).

Community Outreach

Gender norms are deeply rooted, especially in a highly male-dominated sector like the industrial trades. WEE-North’s motto is “Changing the Face of Industrial Trades in northern Ghana”. This requires engaging with communities for gender transformation. Through carefully planned durbars, WEE-North reaches deep into communities to recruit young women – with the support of family and community. This is because once a young woman has been trained and returns to her community to work, she needs ongoing support of family, neighbours, and local businesses to build her trades business and career.  Trainees actively seek support from industries in their communities to do their Workplace Experience Learning, apprenticeships, and to get contracts.  Many WEE-North tradeswomen have families of their own.  Working close to home allows women to work and attend to their families.  It is important for communities, especially men, to understand that women can undertake work in male-dominated trades and be wives and mothers which is why traditional leaders, chiefs an, fathers and brothers are all targeted by community durbars with messages tailored to gain their support.

WEE-North uses  community radio and social media to promote WEE-North tradeswomen and to increase their visibility with local government, traditional authorities, and the private sector. Once WEE-Groups are formed in their districts, their first activity is to visit local authorities, both District Chief Executives and chieftains and Headmen to gain their support to work as tradeswomen.  So far, reactions from these authorities have been positive, often resulting in positive recognition and work.  WEE-Groups also engage in WEE-Give activities, which show how they give back to their communities by repairing government facilities, such as district offices, schools, and health centres while also serving as a demonstration of their acquired skills and capabilities.  Their volunteer efforts give their work credibility and acceptance in their communities. 

Women’s Representation in the Trades

Representation of women in the industrial trades in northern Ghana is limited.  A search for women Trades Mentors yielded only 15 women who were actively involved in the trades as businesswomen or teachers.  A recent survey of trades associations in Northern Ghana found that out of 31 groups, only three had women on their executive boards.  Those three were also identified by WEE-North and are now Trades Mentors for WEE-Groups.  The situation in Southern Ghana is better than in the North, but also limited.  However, with 2,000 young women trained in industrial trades, the WEE-Group Network may become the network of choice to represent women’s interests in the trades in the North.  While these young women are busy finding jobs and establishing their WEE-Groups, WEE-North is preparing the ground for them to be effective advocates for women in industrial trades. 

Because an important outcome for WEE-North is the strengthened representation and voice of women in the trades, the project is working with trades associations to support them to become more gender-responsive and their membership more gender-sensitive.  WEE-North has offered capacity building to almost 300 industries and over 30 trades associations in Northern Ghana to encourage them not only to be gender-sensitive in their operations, but also to intentionally partner with the WEE-North Network and WEE-Groups in their areas.  Special training and incentives are offered to industries and associations for this purpose. 

The Association for Ghanaian Industries (AGI) is an important ally in this pursuit. Working together with WEE-North, AGI’s northern chapter will inaugurate the first women’s caucus in the north. Representatives from women’s special interest trade groups from the South are engaged in capacity building with women AGI members in the North. WEE-North is encouraging its women Trades Mentors and WEE-Group executive members to join AGI and become active in the women’s caucus. 

Moreover, WEE-North is also a member of the Canada-Ghana Chamber of Commerce.  The Chamber, along with Canada’s Trades Commissioners in Ghana, takes every opportunity to promote WEE-North and to represent women in the trades. 

Small- and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the economy in northern Ghana. After completing an intensive training-to-employment program, young women have the opportunity to participate in an advanced entrepreneurship bootcamp to further hone their business ideas and gain confidence and skills required for success in a male-dominated and highly competitive business environment.

The bootcamp is an one-month intensive applied learning program intended to equip young women with the entrepreneurship skills and competencies they need to launch and run successful small businesses. The bootcamp focuses on both “hard” and “soft” business and entrepreneurship skills, including business planning, enterprise management, leadership and negotiation skills. By the end of the entrepreneurship program, women have developed their business idea into an operational plan to launch a new micro or small business or enter self-employment in industrial-related sectors.

As a follow-on to the entrepreneurship bootcamp, young women benefit from a mentorship program pairing them with experienced female business owners and entrepreneurs to support the implementation of their business plans.

Pursuing a career in the industrial trades likely means young women will work in male-dominated workplaces. The WEE-NORTH team supports young women in building confidence and workplace readiness skills by offering empowerment bootcamps as a mandatory component of the training-to-employment program. For one week, female trainees learn how to manage issues relating to gender inequality, sexual rights, harassment and navigating a male dominated workplace.

Personal health and safety are also paramount to success. WEE-NORTH provides personal protective equipment for every trainee that is appropriate for her trade specialization. This step ensures physical protection for trainees so they can learn to safely operate equipment, reduce hazards and dispose of waste materials in an environmentally-sound manner during training and in the workplace.

Industry Engagement and Partnerships for Trades Training

Industry creates the demand for skilled workers. Opportunities for practical attachments are the most important step in accessing gainful employment in the trades. Without a practical learning opportunity, many young trainees either go on to pursue more studies or end up without decent work in their trade.

WEE-NORTH looks to its industry partners for these practical attachments. The project team works with industry to identify their needs and matches them with female trainees who have completed the program and possess the technical skills and workplace knowledge to succeed. WEE-NORTH also supports employers by offering workshops to help them better prepare for and retain female employees.