A new breath of fresh air has swept across the campus of Accra Technical University (ATU), as it marked a historic moment on May 22, 2025, with the commissioning of the DTI-ATU Demonstration Centre and Innovation & Incubation Hub, a facility touted to be a gamechanger in Ghana’s technical and vocational education space. The event is a result of the forward-thinking collaboration between Accra Technical University and the Design and Technology Institute (DTI), made possible with the vital backing of the Mastercard Foundation. This partnership has birthed a model learning environment poised to redefine technical education in Ghana and beyond.
Housed at the heart of the ATU campus, the Demonstration and Innovation Hub is an impressive blend of technology, design, and purpose. Designed with functionality at its core, the facility features modern precision hand tools and dedicated practical training spaces that serve the Welding and Fabrication, as well as Fashion Design and Textiles departments. In addition to these, selected laboratories within the Electrical/Electronics and Hospitality and Catering programmes have been retooled and upgraded to meet evolving industry demands. But the true power of this facility lies in its mission, to fuse academic theory with hands-on experience, ensuring students graduate not just with knowledge, but with job-ready skills that meet global industry benchmarks.
Central to the centre’s establishment is the rollout of the Precision Quality (PQ) curriculum, a structured programme developed by industry experts and endorsed by the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET). The PQ training model has been embedded into the university’s academic framework to promote high standards of craftsmanship, ethical working habits, and a mindset geared toward continuous improvement.
To drive this transformation, fifteen academic and technical staff at ATU have undergone intensive capacity-building sessions, equipping them to deliver the PQ curriculum effectively. These trained facilitators are now championing a new style of teaching that bridges the gap between the classroom and the realities of the modern workplace.
This approach signals a bold step toward addressing the long-standing mismatch between graduates’ skills and industry expectations. It’s about producing professionals who are not just certified, but competentprofessionals who think critically, execute with precision, and adapt to change.
Beyond this centre lies a vision that reflects a national desire to harness the potential of youth, ignite innovation, and build pathways to sustainable employment. Moreover, the centre stands for integrating precision-based learning into technical education that provides students with tools to thrive in the fast-evolving world of work, particularly within the skilled trades and entrepreneurial sectors. The DTI-ATU Demonstration and Innovation Hub is an evidence of a bold step forward for both Accra Technical University and the broader TVET landscape in Ghana. It demonstrates the tangible outcomes of bridging academia with industry, fostering partnerships and embedding innovation at the heart of skills development.