Company Profile

WUSC (World University Service of Canada) is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. We bring together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. Together, we develop solutions in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment to overcome inequality and exclusion for youth around the world, particularly young women and young refugees. WUSC currently works in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $40 million. We have over 90 staff in our Ottawa office, and over 200 people overseas implementing 16 development projects in collaboration with donors such as Global Affairs Canada, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Mastercard Foundation and the African Development Bank.

Job Description

Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE)
Terms of Reference

• Assignment Title: Consultancy to facilitate workshop on Recognition of Prior Learning for Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) Providers
• Position Location: Ghana
• Reports to: Institutional Capacity Building Specialist
• Contract term: 11 days

World University Service of Canada (WUSC)
The World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is one of Canada’s leading non-profit international development organizations, committed to building a more equitable and sustainable world. Our vision is a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world for youth. It is a world in which all young people, especially women and refugees, are empowered to secure a good quality of life for themselves, their families, and their communities. We work with a diverse network of students, volunteers, institutions, governments, and businesses to improve education, economic, and empowerment opportunities for youth, and to improve the lives of millions of disadvantaged people around the world.

Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE)
The Accelerating Change Through InnoVation in Agricultural TVET (ACTIVATE) program is a 5-year project funded by the Mastercard Foundation, which aims to improve the well-being and resilience of young women and men by strengthening an industry-led demand-driven Agriculture Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) system nationwide in Ghana. Using an inclusive market systems approach, the program blends education and skills training while building collaboration and linkages among key stakeholders such as public and private actors, academia, and agriculture value chain actors. Over the course of five years, this program will respond to key challenges facing the Agriculture and Adjacent sectors (defined as sectors that are directly or indirectly aligned with agriculture such as ICT and logistics) including:

• Low quality of ATVET instruction, curriculum and equipment/infrastructure;
• Non-alignment of new TVET policies and reforms across ministries;
• Lack of ATVET engagement with industry to understand their human resource needs;
• Poor business skills among young people and insufficient entrepreneurship support to the diverse needs of agripreneurs;
• Insufficient management capacity of ATVET providers, regulators and support organizations

The project will reduce gender specific barriers, elevate the voice and aspirations of youth and integrate a strong inclusivity lens, with respect to gender and disability.

Scope of Work
The Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) is the regulator for TVET in Ghana. The (ERB) Act 1023 of 2020, amongst others, mandates the Commission to develop and implement a national assessment and certification in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training sector. Among the policies implemented by the commission is the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy. The RPL is a process of evaluating prior skills and knowledge acquired through formal, informal or non-formal learning against some predetermined qualification standard in order to formally recognize them. The importance of RPL includes granting access to a qualification or providing exemption from units of a particular qualification. It may also be used as a means of career advancement.

RPL has been prioritized on the national agenda and is being integrated into the Competency Based Training (CBT) framework overseen by the Commission for TVET. Recognition of Prior Learning is designed to evaluate prior skills and knowledge acquired through formal and non-formal learning; against predetermined qualification standards to formally recognize them. The Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training published and validated an RPL policy in 2022; copies of this policy are publicly available.

The consultancy will cover the organization and moderation of a workshop in consultation with the responsible agency; the Accreditation, Assessment & Certification Directorate of the Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) for ATVET providers including ATVET Technical Institutes, Agricultural Farm Colleges, ATVET Tertiary Institutions and private sector actors including members of the Agricultural Sector Skills Body. The list for institutions will be agreed upon with WUSC.

The purpose of this assignment is to research, organize and facilitate one workshop with the identified institutions on RPL and how it will be rolled out to ATVET institutions as well as develop a roadmap in consultation with CTVET and invited stakeholders on how RPL will be implemented in ATVET.

Key Tasks
Engagement with CTVET

• Engage and collaborate with the Accreditation, Assessment & Certification (A, A & C) Directorate of CTVET to discuss the implementation of Recognition of Prior
• Learning (RPL) in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector in Ghana.

Desk Review and Roadmap Development

• Conduct a comprehensive desk review of existing RPL policies and formulate a detailed roadmap for implementing RPL specifically in the Agriculture sector within TVET, including financing options.

Workshop Organization

• Develop training materials and organize a workshop for ATVET stakeholders, including CTVET and an institution currently implementing RPL, to discuss RPL implementation in ATVET including challenges and successes in RPL implementation.

Reporting

• Compile a comprehensive report on RPL implementation in ATVET, incorporating the developed roadmap, assessment strategies, financing details, and insights from the workshop.

Deliverables
Conducting of Validation Workshop

• Training materials for the RPL workshop, along with documentation of stakeholder feedback for validating the developed roadmap.

Comprehensive Report
○ One report, that details

• identified capacity needs from engagement with CTVET,
• the roadmap with timelines and responsibilities for implementation of RPL in ATVET and
• a summary of discussions, outcomes and recommendations from the workshop.

Specifically, the key tasks and deliverables and the time allocated to it are:
 

Required Skills or Experience

Qualifications of Key Expert proposed

Educational Background

• Master's degree or higher in Education, Adult Learning, Human Resource Development, or a related field.

Relevant Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) or related fields.
• Proven experience in implementing Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) frameworks, particularly in the agricultural sector or similar domains.

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong understanding of RPL policies and practices, especially in the context of TVET.
• Familiarity with the regulatory environment of TVET in Ghana, particularly the role of CTVET.
• Excellent research and analytical skills for conducting desk reviews and developing conceptual frameworks.
• Experience in developing training materials and facilitating workshops for diverse stakeholders.
• Proficiency in report writing, with the ability to present complex information clearly and effectively.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Strong interpersonal skills to effectively engage with various stakeholders, including government agencies, educational institutions, and industry representatives.
• Ability to document discussions and synthesize stakeholder feedback into actionable insights.

Project Management

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills to coordinate workshop logistics and stakeholder participation.

Communication Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in local languages is an advantage.
• Ability to present findings and recommendations convincingly to diverse audiences.

Research and Development

• Capacity to develop conceptual frameworks tailored to the specific needs of ATVET.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Proven track record in documenting stakeholder requirements and insights.

Workshop Preparation

• Experience in creating effective training materials and facilitating participatory workshops.

Reporting

• Ability to compile comprehensive reports covering capacity needs assessments, implementation roadmaps, and workshop outcomes.