Vocational Education and Training Program

Our innovative vocational program works with youth and young adults who had limited access to formal schooling. Most of the participants were never able to attend school and their communities have identified them as being at-risk of trafficking. Students study literacy and business math in the mornings and then learn trades such as sewing, weaving, woodworking, bicycle repair, and hairstyling. Graduates receive support to launch their own small businesses, often becoming trainers themselves.

our impact

  • 20 girls ages 13 to 15 are learning literacy and skills at our new Vocational Education Center
  • Over 80 youth have been trained in vocational skills over the last five years.
  • Nine small businesses were opened by program graduates.
  • 400 school uniforms and 100 school desks are produced annually by program alumni, fostering economic sustainability

Skills for Self-Reliance, Pathways to Prosperity

In rural northern Ghana, opportunities for employment are extremely limited, particularly for young women. Engage Globally’s vocational training and small business development programs are designed to address this challenge directly—by equipping young people with practical skills, supporting entrepreneurship, and creating local economic opportunities.

Students can learn hair design, weaving, sewing, construction, woodworking, and bicycle repair. They are taught primarily by graduates of our program who have opened their own small businesses / social enterprises.

support vocational training

Program Components:

Vocational training

To reduce dangerous child labor and trafficking, youth ages 13 to 15 can attend our Vocational Education Center.

Vocational education for youth

Coaching through national exams, financial support to earn trade certification, and connection to trainers and employers.

Mentorship & certification

Participants attend classes in personal healthy, hygiene, first aid, and nutritious cooking.

Health & nutrition education

Grants to help with renting land, building shops, and purchase of trade tools. These small businesses create employment opportunities near local villages. Each social enterprise also supports our other projects such as sewing student uniforms, constructing student desks, repairing school roofs, weaving pre-K carpets, and maintaining bicycles and motorcycles.

Small business development

Building on interviews and lessons learned from ten years of vocational training, we recently launched an innovative project to address the needs of youth, ages 13 to 15, who have never had the opportunity to attend school. Our Vocational Education Center (VEC) provides early vocational training combined with foundational literacy and math education. Focusing primarily on girls who are at risk of trafficking and boys who were working as garbage pickers in the regional trash facility, this project transforms choices and opportunities

Participant Stories

Rukia

Rukia joined our Vocational Education Center this year. She shared, “When I graduate from the VEC it will help me in many ways. I would now have my own business shop and also make money from my work. My graduation would be a great meaning to my family and friends because I can now provide food for them."

Anifa

Anifa helped to design and sewed the VEC uniform she is wearing in this photo. She shared, “What I like best is cutting of material to form a beautiful shirt. The thing I'm happy about is learning how to write and read. The thing that is hard for me is speaking English because I haven't been in school before."

Yakubu

Yakubu graduated from our vocational program after three years of training as a seamstress. She excelled in her program, and we supported her to become a co-owner of her own business. Now, she trains new students at our Vocational Education Center, where she told us that, “the thing I enjoy is when the students are working with what I taught them. It makes me happy!”

Future Growth

  • Support more graduates to open small businesses and become trainers.

  • Add new trades, including men’s hair design and food processing.

  • Provide expanded leadership and financial literacy training.

  • Many communities have requested to send their youth to our VEC. We hope to add 20 students per year but would love to build a second VEC in a more rural community.

engage with us

weaving trainee

seamstress student

vocational training graduate and now a seamstress trainer

NAVIGATE

HOME

ABOUT

DONATE

ANNUAL IMPACT REPORTS

PROGRAMS

SUPPORT

PARTNERS

ENGAGE WITH US

SPONSOR A CHILD'S EDUCATION

VOLUNTEER 

join our community

ENGAGE GLOBALLY