Ghana Plans AI Training for One Million TVET Teachers and Learners

UNESCO has formalized partnerships with Ghana TVET Service and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to support the expansion of AI EmpowerED, an initiative that helps teachers build the knowledge and confidence to prepare students for a changing workplace.

Ghana is preparing to expand artificial intelligence and digital skills training across its technical and vocational education system, with a national ambition to reach up to one million educators and learners by the end of 2027. UNESCO has formalized partnerships with Ghana TVET Service and the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to support the expansion of AI EmpowerED, an initiative that helps teachers build the knowledge and confidence to prepare students for a changing workplace.

Teachers Take the Lead in Bringing AI Into Classrooms

AI EmpowerED forms part of UNESCO's Global Skills Academy and receives support from Microsoft Elevate, KPMG International and Tablet Academy. Launched across six countries in 2025, the initiative connects education institutions with private-sector expertise to strengthen AI and digital learning within technical and vocational education and training, commonly known as TVET. For Ghana, the expansion builds on a pilot at AAMUSTED University, a leading institution in the country's TVET education sector.

The programme gives selected educators intensive preparation through a master-trainer bootcamp and Microsoft-accredited learning pathways, equipping them to pass their knowledge to colleagues and learners. Personalized learning journeys help participants develop relevant skills and understand how to use AI confidently, effectively and ethically. This approach builds expertise within institutions, giving schools a foundation for continuing training through their own teaching staff.

More than 30 master trainers and around 3,300 learners have completed their learning journeys and earned Microsoft certifications in AI and digital skills since the pilot began. Their experience provides a starting point for wider delivery, with the first cohort now positioned to help introduce the programme across Ghana's TVET network.

Reaching Teachers Beyond Well-Connected Communities

Access will be a central test of the expansion, particularly for institutions in deprived and underserved communities where unreliable connectivity can limit participation in digital learning. Ghana TVET Service Director-General Eric Kofi Adzroe stressed that the country's digital transformation must reach these communities and give every TVET teacher an opportunity to benefit, regardless of location.

Ghana TVET Service, which oversees technical and vocational institutions, will support implementation and instructor training. GETFund brings education financing experience, resources and national reach through its work supporting infrastructure and development projects. These roles give the partnership a framework for expanding training and sustaining it within the education system, with GETFund Administrator Paul Adjei highlighting the growing urgency of equipping young people with digital competencies, AI capabilities and skills that encourage innovation.

A National Rollout Across Around 140 Institutions

The second phase will bring training to around 140 TVET institutions through four consecutive three-month cycles, with institutions grouped by region. National stakeholders have set a target of training and certifying up to one million TVET educators and learners by the end of 2027, extending AI and digital competencies across vocational education as technology changes the skills employers need.

Ghana's expansion is part of a broader effort involving India, Kenya, Malaysia, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania, where pilot programmes are moving towards wider national delivery adapted to local needs. The initiative supports Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education and Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth, placing teachers at the centre of efforts to help vocational education keep pace with the world of work.