The Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service has entered a partnership with the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) to strengthen industry collaboration and promote skills development ahead of the 2026 National TVET Week.
National TVET Week, scheduled for October 12 to 16, 2026, is expected to provide a platform for industry stakeholders to showcase the relevance of technical and vocational education to Ghana’s industrial development.
The partnership followed an engagement between the two institutions at the refinery, where discussions focused on strengthening the link between TVET training and the skills requirements of industry.
Under the collaboration, the two institutions will work towards strengthening certification to ensure that TVET graduates meet nationally recognised standards required for refinery operations.
The partnership will also provide opportunities for learners to undertake Work Experience Learning (WEL) placements at TOR, giving them practical exposure to refinery operations and helping to bridge the gap between classroom training and the workplace.
For TOR, the collaboration comes at a time when the refinery is preparing for expansion, creating the need for a pipeline of skilled professionals, including engineers, technicians, machinists and maintenance specialists.
Beyond the technical collaboration, TOR’s support for National TVET Week is expected to contribute to efforts to change perceptions about technical and vocational education and encourage more young people to pursue skills training.
The Managing Director of TOR, Mr Edmond Kombat, said the partnership presented an opportunity to change the narrative surrounding TVET.
“For far too long, TVET has carried an unfair reputation as the option for those who could not go elsewhere,” he said.
The Deputy Director-General in charge of Management Services at the Ghana TVET Service, Mr Abdul Fatah Maigah Mahama, said TOR’s involvement demonstrated the value industry placed on TVET graduates.
He said the National TVET Week would provide an opportunity to showcase the contribution of technical and vocational skills to Ghana’s industrial growth.
“When Ghanaians see the refinery’s engineers, technicians and craftsmen and trace their success back to skills training, the narrative now shifts to one of dignity, opportunity and national progress,” he said.
Mr Mahama said the collaboration would help demonstrate how TVET was contributing to Ghana’s changing job landscape.
“Tema Oil Refinery is not just sponsoring a celebration; it is standing behind the very workforce that keeps its plant running. That is living proof that TVET graduates are not the last option; they are the first choice of Ghana’s biggest industries,” he said.
Central to the collaboration is the Service’s WEL programme, which provides learners with practical exposure to industry.
Through placements at TOR, learners will have the opportunity to experience refinery operations and gain first‑hand knowledge of the technical, technological and safety requirements of the industry.
Mr Mahama said such exposure would help bridge the gap between theoretical instruction and practical application while allowing industry to identify and nurture potential talent. He described the partnership as signalling a new phase for TVET development in Ghana.
“When the nation’s premier refinery invests in skills training, it sends an unmistakable message to every parent and every young person: TVET is a pathway to the heart of Ghana’s industrial future,” he said. He added that collaboration between industry and TVET institutions was essential to building the skilled workforce required to sustain Ghana’s refinery sector.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of certification in refinery operations, where safety, precision, efficiency and reliability are critical.
The TVET Service said certification should therefore not be treated merely as a formality, but as an important requirement for ensuring that graduates possess the competencies needed to work safely and effectively in high‑risk industrial environments.
National TVET Week 2026 will feature policy dialogues, stakeholder engagements and industry‑led activities aimed at promoting skills training, encouraging enrolment and highlighting career opportunities within the TVET sector.
With TOR as a partner and sponsor, the collaboration is expected to deepen the relationship between industry and TVET institutions and contribute to efforts to build a skilled workforce capable of supporting Ghana’s industrial transformation.
