The Ghana Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service has teamed up with The OR Foundation to promote circular design and sustainable fashion as part of its effort to align skills development with emerging economic and environmental opportunities.
The collaboration will be highlighted by the Next Gen Fashion Icon Showcase, a flagship activity of the 2026 National TVET Week scheduled for October 12 to 16. The showcase will give TVET learners a national stage to demonstrate their technical and creative abilities by turning discarded textiles and other materials into products of value.
Speaking on the partnership, the Director‑General of the Ghana TVET Service, Engr. Dr Eric Kofi Adzroe, said the showcase would give the public an opportunity to see the capabilities of TVET learners. “The fashion show gives every Ghanaian the chance to witness, first hand, what our learners are capable of. When people see garments made from what was once thrown away, they begin to look at their surroundings differently,” he said. He added, “It invites all of us to rethink waste, to see it not as rubbish, but as raw material waiting for skilled hands.”
Dr Adzroe also noted that the partnership would expose learners to practical knowledge and international approaches to circular design. “One of the greatest gifts of this partnership is the chance it affords our learners to expand their knowledge base by learning directly from The OR Foundation’s instructors,” he said. “Our young people will be exposed to global best practices in upcycling and circular design, and that kind of mentorship shapes not just skills, but vision.”
Ms Elizabeth Ricketts, Co‑Founder and Executive Director of The OR Foundation, said Ghana has significant potential to become a leading hub for sustainable fashion. “When it comes to sustainable fashion, Ghana has so much to teach the world,” she said. She added that the Foundation seeks to ensure that young people interested in circularity, as well as creative entrepreneurs already practising circular approaches, have access to institutional support, training and business development opportunities. “Together with TVET we can expand this work and position Ghana as a global flagship for a fashion economy that says no to the fast fashion business model and instead advances both environmental sustainability and economic opportunity,” she said.
The partnership also builds on The OR Foundation’s work within Ghana’s textile sector. Following the fire at the Kantamanto market, the Foundation committed more than US$3 million in emergency relief and recovery support to assist traders, artisans and small businesses affected by the disaster. Other initiatives, such as the Obroni Wawu October festival and skills programmes for young designers and upcyclers, have also focused on supporting livelihoods and promoting alternative approaches to fashion and textile production.
The Next Gen Fashion Icon Showcase will form part of the National TVET Week celebrations, which will bring together stakeholders from government, industry, development partners and civil society to examine the future of skills development in Ghana. The partnership is expected to provide learners with an opportunity to apply their skills in a practical setting while promoting environmental responsibility, creativity, entrepreneurship and economic productivity. It also signals an effort to integrate circular thinking into skills development and prepare TVET graduates for emerging opportunities in Ghana’s creative and sustainable economy.
