DTI-Dabokpa Alliance: Empowering Inclusive TVET

In 2025, the Design and Technology Institute (DTI) partnered with Dabokpa Technical Institute in Tamale to implement a targeted institutional strengthening initiative. This effort aimed to improve the quality, relevance, and inclusiveness of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) delivery.

The partnership focused on upgrading key training labs in various fields such as Welding and Fabrication, Fashion, Catering, Hospitality, and Software Technology. Additionally, DTI’s Precision Quality™ framework was embedded into the curriculum, and Training of Trainers programs were conducted to raise standards in line with industry requirements.

Alongside these improvements, the introduction of the PQ™ Internship Programme created structured pathways for unemployed graduates to transition into employment, self-employment, and entrepreneurship.

However, during the implementation phase, a significant barrier to participation emerged. Young women with toddlers faced considerable challenges, with some attending training sessions alongside their children. This highlighted safety concerns and the lack of childcare support as major limitations for access and completion.

In response, DTI and Dabokpa Technical Institute, with support from the Mastercard Foundation, introduced a practical solution by establishing a Day Care Centre under the initiative “A Place to Learn, A Place to Care.” The facility was commissioned on April 29, 2026, and serves as a strategic intervention designed to enable young mothers to fully participate in skills training.

For Madam Mariama Mahama, Principal of the institute, the initiative represents a deliberate step towards creating a more inclusive and supportive environment where young mothers are no longer forced to choose between education and childcare.

Some young mothers who had considered dropping out are now able to continue their training with confidence, reinforcing the centre’s immediate impact on access and retention.

Speaking at the commissioning, Ms. Constance Swaniker, Founder and President of DTI, underscored the importance of addressing systemic barriers to women’s participation in TVET. She emphasized that inclusive workforce development requires not only quality training but also enabling environments that allow all learners to access and succeed.

The initiative is already improving retention, participation, and productivity within the institute, while reinforcing a broader shift towards gender-responsive TVET delivery. It demonstrates how targeted, ecosystem-driven interventions can unlock access for underserved groups while strengthening institutional performance, offering a practical blueprint for inclusive, high-quality TVET systems.

Looking Ahead

As DTI and Dabokpa Technical Institute deepen and institutionalise this model, with continued support from the Mastercard Foundation and collaboration with national institutions such as the Ghana Education Service, the National Service Secretariat, and the Department of Social Welfare, there is strong potential to scale this approach across Ghana and beyond.