Celebrating The Woman Championing TVET In Ghana

Mawusi Nudekor Awity is the first female Director-General of the Ghana Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Service. She was officially appointed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2021, she is particularly interested in training women to acquire knowledge for self-empowerment and one of the women of influence in Ghana who is worth writing about especially on the International Women’s Day.

In order to delve deeper into the significance of International Women’s Day, I had the privilege of engaging Mawusi, as she narrates her past life and her journey into the vocational and technical field.

Mawusi is not only a staunch advocate for women’s rights but also a fervent supporter of self-employment. With over two decades of experience in entrepreneurship and vocational training, her goal is to empower young individuals, especially women, with the necessary skills for non-traditional trades to secure their livelihoods.

How The Journey Began

“Despite my passion for styling the hair of my female friends at a younger age, pursuing a full-time career in the vocation industry was never something I considered. In Ghana, just a few years ago, working in vocational or technical fields was often associated with failure, incompetence, and seen as a last resort. However, my father saw things differently. He promptly enrolled me in a vocational school to further develop and refine my skills after recognizing my talent. Nevertheless, fearing ridicule and societal rejection, I declined the enrolment and chose to follow the socially accepted educational path. This decision almost jeopardized my dreams and limited my opportunities.”

Mawusi Nudekor Awity, the Director General for TVET in Ghana.

These were the words of Mawusi Nudekor. Seated in front of her, listening attentively, one could tell from my actions how glued I was stuck to her story. Not even the sound of the heavy rain during the interview was enough to distract my session with this strong and determined woman.

Breaking barriers, Mawusi stands as the pioneering woman appointed to the esteemed position of Director General of TVET Service in Ghana. Committed to the advancement of quality technical and vocational education, she strives to ensure that all Ghanaians are equipped with the essential skills demanded by their respective workplaces.

Significance of TVET

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) stands at the foreground of global efforts to address the evolving demands of the task workforce and bridge the gap between education and employment. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and globalization, the importance of TVET in equipping individuals with relevant skills and competencies cannot be undermined.

TVET equips individuals with relevant skills. Photo Credit: GNA

International Women’s Day

The 8th of March is observed as International Women’s Day (IWD). It is a global celebration that merits the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women worldwide while also highlighting the ongoing struggle for gender equality. It is observed annually and serves as a reminder of the progress made in advancing women’s rights and the work that still needs to be done.

Empowering women has numerous benefits, from economic growth and poverty alleviation to improved health, education, and social development. The Sustainable Development Goal 5 aims to achieve gender equality for women and girls. Women empowerments extend beyond individual women to entire communities and societies. Goal 5.5 also seeks to ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision making in political, economic and public life.

Numerous women in Africa and beyond are helping to empower women in all sectors. From Ghana, there is Professor Elsie Effah Biraa Kaufman who is the first woman to be appointed Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences at the University of Ghana-Legon, using her platform to empower more women into science.

In Nigeria, Professor Francisca Nneka Okeke is the first female professor of physics in the Eastern part of Nigeria, and she is using her position to advocate for an inclusion of more women in the department, among others.

Introducing Mawusi Nudekor Awity

Mawusi Nudekor Awity’s impact reverberates across the nation, having positively influenced over 8,000 lives through her efforts in providing training to women, enabling them to establish their own successful businesses.

Journalist (left), Mawusi Nudekor Awity welcoming her with beaming smiles.

Uncovering Her Passion For TVET

With open arms, she welcomed me and offered me a seat for the main interview. Mawusi stated that her journey into TVET has been smooth but very interesting. She explained, “When I was growing up, I had always wanted to go to secondary school, but my father wanted me to attend a vocational training school as he wished for me to become a fashion designer.” She continued, “My dad sent me to Prampram Women’s Vocational School in the Greater Accra region, but I was hesitant. I felt that, at that time, nobody knew about TVET, and those who did, and even attended TVET schools, were seen as uneducated. So, going to secondary school was all I dreamed of.” She further elaborated that while in university, she continued to practice hair styling and designing until she completed her studies.

“After graduation, I became interested in fashion, something I had been encouraged to pursue since I was 10 years old. In my 20s, I felt like fashion was the way to go. I attached myself to a fashion designer, and it was very easy for me to learn quickly because my interest was there.”

For Mawusi, in her spare time, she buys second-hand clothing and practices on her own. “I did a lot of home schooling, self-training,” she said. “I opened a fashion shop and started gaining momentum, so I decided to venture into fashion shows. I began sewing and exporting, and I even learned how to design my own fabrics. Later, I opened my own restaurant. I attended a vocational school to learn catering and cake decoration. A few years later, I got into bead making. I used to create beautiful designs using unconventional objects like pegs, stones, and palm kernels, resulting in unique designs.”

Mawusi Nudekor Awity recounts that the amount of money she made during weekends alone compared to her office work at the end of the month was three times as much, so she decided to pursue TVET full-time despite the challenges. “I remember some of my colleagues and peers in university questioned why I ventured into TVET after all my efforts to pursue a university education, but I was determined to reach higher.”

She shares how her journey into TVET began.

Network of Women in Growth (NEWIG)

“I decided to set up a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO); Network of Women in Growth (NEWIG) to train people and transfer skills to marginalized women, the vulnerable and most especially survivors of domestic violence”. She revealed.

The sole aim of NEWIG was to give entrepreneurial support to women. “I started travelling all over the country, training people. One thing I noticed was that when you are into TVET, you are always doing things, great idea always come to mind” – she said.

NEWIG providing entrepreneurial support to women. Photo Credit: Modern Ghana  

Madam Mawusi Nudekor Awity was appointed in 2017 by the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to head the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI). “I was appointed because of my experiences. I have been in the TVET space for about 16 to 17 years at the time. It was not easy for me because I had come into the TVET space with the private mentality. If it wasn’t a political appointment, I would have fished out because I couldn’t just stand it” – she said. In October 2021, Madam Mawusi was appointed by the President as the Director General of TVET, a position she is currently occupying.

“I had to touch lives; I had to transform lives. I was a women’s rights advocate; gender played a significant role in that. I realized that many young women were not entering male-dominated areas. My NGO has helped train young women to become professional drivers. So, the first female drivers of the Aayalolo buses (public buses) were trained by my NGO.

Young women trained into professional driving. Photo Credit: Graphic Online

We got the Armed Forces mechanical transport school to train them. These young women were taught defensive driving, self-defense, and firefighting. It was an all-inclusive training. We also trained some of them to drive petrol tankers. We trained young women in building construction where they were trained in general electricals, craftmanship, air conditioning repairers and plumbing. Some of them have set up their own businesses, some are contractors, and some are in the universities and training officers in some of the TVET schools”- she said.

According to her, all these experiences made it easier for her to work as the Director General of Ghana TVET Services. For Mawusi, she explains that she came with the idea of entrepreneurship.

She also got more women into leadership. “I made sure that many of our competent women who have never had the opportunity were now given the opportunity to be heads of schools. To increase the female leadership ratio, I had a conscious effort to get young women to go into male dominated vocations. How did we do it? We had to put in some kind of measures where any young women who chose to do general electrical, plumbing and those male dominated spaces were supported with tools to set up their own businesses and link them up to markets. Linking them to where they can get good patronage and then putting them through good soft skills training that is what really helped” – she stated.

She added that the last thing needed to be done was to do mentoring. “I got mentors and linked them up with some of these young women. Mentor them and make sure they walk on that path and be successful. I say that I will only be proud if my mentee climbs higher than me”.

Challenges and Opportunities

According to Mawusi and her team, they had to work on people’s mindset, and do a lot of publicity, and advocacies. “People really did not appreciate TVET. I remember when I accepted the position as Executive Director of NVTI, people questioned why I took up the position”.

She recounts how getting parents to accept to allow their daughters to go into the male dominated spaces was quite challenging. “They will tell you that as a woman if you are a mason, carpenter, climbing those things, you will not be able to get pregnant and give birth”. She added that “people have the perception that TVET staff dress anyhow. We had to do a lot of education and work with the informal apprentice center, the master craft centers on how to keep their workshops neat and to build their capacities in that space and especially in soft skills. The soft skills are the employability skills”.

“From school, I have had a tough skin. I am a goal getter. Once it must be done, it must be done. When it comes to work, I will be hard on you but after we get the desired results, we laugh, eat and drink. I blend all the types of leadership styles. The autocratic, democratic and laisse fair as and when needed. And that is how I am able to get moving. I carry my team along. I believe in team work” – she added.

Achievement and Awards

“I pride myself to be the first female Director General of TVET Service and it is my prayer that the next one will also be a female. Because when women get into leadership, we perform so well” – she stated.

She emphasized that TVET is the way to go. “Today, we have people with aggregate 7 and 8 choosing TVET schools as their first choice. It never used to be but now, the story is different. If you want to reduce poverty in your family, get your people involved in TVET. Even if your child is in a Senior High School, during holidays you can take them to a TVET school to learn a proficiency course and learn a trade. That trade, nobody can take it from them.

She has received several awards for her contributions to TVET.

“My awards are many, among some are 50 Female Pillars of Modern Ghana Awards, Top Ten Best CEOs for 2019 and one from MTN as a recognition for my immense contribution to economic empowerment in 2019 – she said.

MTN recognized Mawusi Nudekor Awity for her immerse contribution to economic empowerment.

Future for TVET

Mawusi describes the future for TVET in Ghana as big. “Very soon Ghana will be a TVET hub. If not for Africa, at least for West Africa in the five years. The number of countries that come to Ghana to meet us and ask what we are doing that has brought us this far. In Ghana, we have the National TVET Qualification Framework (NTVETQF) which most countries do not have. TVET qualification framework can take you all the way up to the PHD level for you to progress vertically. One can go to a technical school. We have Proficiency 1, 2, with certificates, these are short courses. Certificate 1 and 2 just like the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), then the Technical University for Higher National Diploma (HND), then Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech), Mater of Technology (M. Tech), Doctor of Technology (D. Tech). It is not like those days that there is no progress”. She added that the answer to our national development is cottage industrialization. “Every community must have a cottage farm. We support our final years with tools and link them to markets”.

TVET, the solution to Ghana’s development. Photo Credit: Ministry of Education

Roles we all can play

“We should start from the primary schools where we introduce students into TVET so it will spark interests in them” – she said. She then urges the media to embark on a lot of advocacies. “The media should use just a sentence or word in all their segments to encourage women into TVET”. She added that “churches and mosques should all talk about TVET”.

Conclusion

The full potential of TVET can be realized but, it requires concerted efforts from policymakers, educators, industries, and the society at large to overcome challenges. Together, we can make Ghana the TVET Hub for West Africa and Africa at large and build a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable future for all.