About Author: Awal Sakib Mohammed, President, Ghana Electrical Contractors Association (GECA),Chairman for the Skills Body for “Electrical, Electronics and Automation” under the CTVET (Contact details: +233243864726 Email: awalcahsant@gmail.com)
Introduction
The Urgent Call for a Skilled Electrical Workforce Electricity is the heartbeat of modern life. Every home, hospital, school, and industry depends on it. Yet behind the switches and sockets lies a truth we can no longer ignore: our electrical networks are dilapidated, our systems outdated, and our workforce dangerously underprepared.
Road Contractors’ Vital Role: Their Dilemma
Electrical contractors are the vital intermediaries between end-users and the essential services they rely on daily. But today, they stand at a crossroads-undermined by poor curriculum implementation, inadequate training facilities, and a growing influx of foreign nationals unfamiliar with Ghana’s regulations and standards.
Beyond Professional Concern: A matter of National Crisis
This is not merely a professional concern; it is a national crisis. Thirteen Years of Neglect Safe and efficient electrical systems thrive on strict adherence to principles and regulations. After thirteen years of the Electrical Wiring Regulations, 2011 (L.I. 2008), one would expect our schools and training institutions to have fully integrated these standards into every relevant subject of our education system.
Yet, no formal training exists to bring even practicing professionals up to speed with critical portions of the regulation. Implementation remains poor.
Engineers continue to design outdated systems, students are taught obsolete methods, schools lack the tools for practical training, and industries are left without competent hands to sustain operations.
This neglect is not only shameful, it is dangerous. Every day we delay, we risk exposing our nation to disruptions that could cripple the economy, endanger lives, and stall technological progress.
The Promise of Technology: The Hard Truth
The False Promise of Technology We are told that technology and artificial intelligence will transform our future. But let us be clear: AI cannot replace electricians.
Without competent electricians, technicians, and engineers, every technological dream collapses. A single disruption in power can paralyze industries, silence hospitals, and halt digital services.
The Skilled Workers Shortage Menace
The shortage of skilled workers is not a minor inconvenience; it is a ticking time bomb. The Dangers We Face If authorities continue to pay lip service to the TVET agenda, the consequences will be severe:
- Employment Crisis: Youth denied dignified, sustainable jobs while industries cry out for skilled labor.
- Economic Disruption: Power outages stall factories, businesses, and digital services, eroding productivity and competitiveness.
- Technological Breakdown: AI and automation falter without resilient electrical infrastructure. • National Vulnerability: Hospitals, schools, and essential services left exposed to unreliable power systems. Almost all interventions that once promised direction have stalled. The silence of authorities is deafening, and the cost of inaction will be unbearable.
Call on Authorities for Urgent Pragmatic Action
A Call to Action Authorities must sit up now or face a disruption that will shake every facet of our lives. There is the need for:
- Curriculum Reform: Integrate electrical wiring regulations into every relevant subject.
- Industry Support: Equip schools and industries to provide practical workplace learning.
- Capacity Building: Invest in local expertise to reduce dependence on foreign contractors.
- Recognition of Electrical Contractors: Acknowledge their role as indispensable guardians of national survival
The Critical Issue of Sustainability
The electrical contracting industry is not just about wires and circuits, it is about dignity, sustainability, and the future of our youth. It provides jobs that empower, skills that sustain, and services that protect.
Conclusion
The thorny Issue of TVET
We must stop paying lip service to TVET and start treating it as the backbone of national development. Without skilled electricians, technicians, and engineers, every promise of progress; economic growth, technological advancement, digital transformation will collapse. The time for action is now.
Authorities must rise to the occasion, or history will remember them as the ones who allowed our nation to plunge into darkness.