Teaching Dressmaking: a Factor on the Placement of Vocational School Graduates in Ghana: A case study of Central and Western regions.

• Main Authors: Faustina Emefa Agordah, Bridget Aidoo-Taylor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Africa Development and Resources Research Institute (ADRRI) 2016-12-01
• Series: Journal of Arts and Social Sciences
• Online Access: https://journals.adrri.org/index.php/adrrijass/article/view/277

The study sought to examine the quality of teaching and learning in vocational schools and its effect on graduates skill acquisition and job placement. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select a total of 130 respondents comprising 96 students, 24 past students, 7 teachers and 3 head teachers from the vocational institutes in the central and western regions of Ghana. Instruments for data collection were questionnaire, interview guide and observation guide. Episodic interview was also used whenever necessary. Findings were given qualitative interpretations with support of percentages and numbers. The main findings indicated that 40% of dressmaking graduates (past students) were with seamstresses as apprentice learning to sew since their competence levels are not good to enable them get employment and 35% of the graduates have been dismissed by their employers due to incompetence. Contributing factors to the poor training of students vis-à-vis their being train again or being dismissed by their employers were lack of practical skills, teachers qualification, unavailability and inadequate teaching and learning materials, non exposure of trainees to industry through industrial attachment, poor supervision and lack attention from heads. The main suggestion made to improve dressmaking training in Ghana were governments should support the training through provision of tools, equipment and materials for practical; monitoring and regulatory bodies should pay attention to challenges private institutions for effective training of students.