Accra Technical Training Centre

Accra Technical Training Centre (ATTC) has been in existence since 1966 and is a large, state-run vocational training centre in Accra that already gears its courses to the needs of the private sector. Programs in a variety of disciplines are offered in seven departments. Of these, the following are relevant to the planned project: Building Construction, Construction Technician,as well as Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. In addition, in the context of the construction industry, course offerings already exist for electrical engineering, industrial maintenance, mechanical engineering, plumbing and gas systems technology, welding and fabrication technology, and architectural drafting. ATTC offers regular day or evening courses as well as pre-vocational courses, customized training for companies as well as certification of people from the informal sector. The centre employs a total of 137 teachers and 37 people as non-academic staff and trains approximately 1,000 trainees annually.

ATTC has carried out projects with international organizations in the past, including the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in the textile sector. The centre is financed primarily through government funding and, to a lesser extent, through projects and company contributions for the customized training courses. ATTC’s strengths lie in its good reputation, experience with construction training, existing approaches with the business community, and openness to new approaches to vocational training. The weaknesses lie in the practical skills of the teachers and the inadequate equipment in the workshops for practical training.