The Design and Technology Institute (DTI) has made history by commissioning Africa’s first American Welding Society (AWS)-certified Welder Training and Testing Centre, marking a groundbreaking milestone in Ghana’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) landscape.
Located on DTI’s campus in Accra, the state-of-the-art facility is equipped with a 40-booth welding workshop, digital welding simulators, and a metallurgical training laboratory. The centre is designed to train, test, and certify Ghanaian welders to international standards, positioning them to compete and excel in both local and global industries.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Dr. Archibald Buah-Kwofie, Acting Director of the Nuclear Power Institute at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), described the new centre as a “strategic national asset” and a “catalyst for transforming Ghana’s TVET landscape.”
“This facility is not just another training centre. It is a bold statement that Ghana is ready to train its youth to world-class standards,” Dr. Buah-Kwofie remarked.
He emphasized the importance of welding in Ghana’s emerging nuclear energy sector, noting that certified welders will play a critical role in the construction, inspection, and maintenance of future nuclear facilities. Dr. Buah-Kwofie further called for a national welding dialogue to create a framework for standardizing training, aligning curricula, and establishing certification protocols across the country.
“This commissioning must inspire us to do more. Every region of Ghana should have access to a world-class TVET facility,” he added.
President and Founder of DTI, Ms. Constance Swaniker, highlighted the institute’s five-year journey of advocating stronger collaboration between academia and industry to bridge the skills gap among Ghana’s youth.
She noted that the mismatch between educational outcomes and industry requirements has contributed significantly to high youth unemployment and low productivity, challenges that DTI aims to address through practical, industry-aligned training.
“DTI’s 70% employability score, validated by the IFC Vitae Assessment, is a testament to our commitment to co-designed curricula, entrepreneurship training, and industry-led instruction,” Ms. Swaniker stated.
The newly commissioned centre integrates soft skills training, facilitated by clinical psychologists and arts-in-education specialists, ensuring that graduates are not only technically proficient but also emotionally intelligent and workplace-ready.
According to Ms. Swaniker, the initiative represents a growing alignment between the public and private sectors, focused on building a skilled, confident, and globally competitive workforce for Ghana and the wider African continent.
“This Centre sets a new benchmark for human capital development in Ghana’s TVET sector,” she said. “It creates dignified, well-paying job opportunities for our youth, reduces costs and delays for industry, and transforms petroleum revenues into human capital dividends for Ghana.”
Ms. Swaniker further emphasized the significance of bridging the gap between academia and industry, referencing global examples from China and India, where structured collaboration has spurred industrial innovation and job creation.
She explained that DTI’s strategic partnerships, curriculum alignment, and work-based learning initiatives have positioned it as a model for modern technical education in Africa.
“The AWS-certified Centre reflects our vision to empower youth with the technical and emotional competencies to thrive in a rapidly changing world,” Ms. Swaniker added.
The facility adopts the AWS SENSE (Schools Excelling through National Skills Education) curriculum, which ensures that all trainees receive standardized instruction aligned with international best practices. The Centre will also serve as a regional hub for welding inspection, certification, and testing services — providing much-needed technical expertise to Ghana’s oil and gas, manufacturing, construction, and energy sectors.
DTI expressed gratitude to the Mastercard Foundation and other key stakeholders for their partnership and continuous support in advancing TVET excellence across Ghana.
Head of the Welding and Fabrication Department at DTI, Mr. Isaac Tetteh, emphasized the Centre’s role in producing globally competitive welders aligned with AWS, ASME, and ISO standards. He called for stronger collaboration between international certification bodies, local regulators, and private industries to expand certification opportunities and support Ghana’s industrialization drive.
“This centre will help reduce Ghana’s reliance on foreign labour while enhancing local content participation in major infrastructure and energy projects,” Mr. Tetteh noted.
The facility is expected to provide a steady pipeline of highly skilled, internationally certified welders — meeting the growing demand for competent professionals in various sectors including oil and gas, automotive, construction, and energy.
By offering globally recognized certification and hands-on training, the DTI Welding and Testing Centre will empower young people with employable skills, enhance productivity across industries, and promote sustainable national development.
As Ghana takes a decisive step toward becoming a hub for skilled technical expertise in Africa, the DTI’s AWS-Certified Welding Training and Testing Centre stands as a beacon of innovation, excellence, and transformation in TVET education — reaffirming the nation’s commitment to empowering its youth for a prosperous future.
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