Improved apprenticeship with master craftspersons
Earn-while-you-learn pairing with a master craftsperson in their own workshop. The traditional Ghanaian apprenticeship, upgraded with OICG-supplied curriculum, supervision, and a recognised certificate at the end.
- Train inside a working master craftsperson's workshop
- Earn a weekly allowance from day one
- OICG-supplied curriculum + fortnightly progress visits
- Monthly classroom sessions: business skills + literacy + counselling
- End-of-apprenticeship NVTI Proficiency assessment
In Ghana, most tradespeople learn their craft through informal apprenticeship — working alongside a master ("Sir") for several years until they are ready to set up on their own. The system works, but it varies wildly in quality, has no standard curriculum, and rarely ends with a certificate the rest of the economy recognises.
OICG's informal model keeps everything that works about traditional apprenticeship and fixes everything that does not. The trainee still apprentices in a real working workshop under a master craftsperson — so they earn an allowance, learn on live jobs, and build a network of customers from day one. What's different is the structure around it.
OICG selects and accredits the master craftspersons. Trainees follow a written curriculum with monthly objectives. OICG instructors visit the workshop fortnightly to assess progress, top up on theory the master may not teach, and step in if anything is going wrong. Apprentices also attend monthly group sessions at the nearest OICG centre for business skills, literacy where needed, and the same life-skills and counselling support the formal cohorts receive.
At the end of the apprenticeship, trainees sit the same NVTI Proficiency assessment as formal graduates and walk away with a national certificate, a portfolio of work, and a master who is now part of their professional network for life.
The informal model suits people who learn best by doing, who need to start earning quickly, or who already have a master in mind. It is the route many of OICG's most successful self-employed graduates have taken.
7 trades delivered through informal training.
Ready to apprentice?
Get in touch and our intake team will walk you through the next step — eligibility check, screening, and orientation.
Apply to an apprenticeshipWho can apply
Open to Ghanaian youth aged 17–35 who have basic numeracy and are willing to work full-time in a workshop environment. No formal schooling required — many of our most successful apprentices come from JHS-dropout backgrounds. Particularly suited to applicants who learn best by doing, who need to earn while training, or who already know a master they would like to work with.
Application process
1. Contact your nearest OICG centre — Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi or Tamale. 2. Meet with the apprenticeship coordinator. Tell us the trade you want to learn and (if you have one) the master you have in mind. We will assess whether they meet OICG's accreditation standards, or pair you with one of ours. 3. Sit a brief eligibility interview and aptitude check. 4. Attend a three-day induction at the centre covering safety, your rights and responsibilities, the curriculum you will follow, and how the monthly classroom days work. 5. Start your apprenticeship. We visit fortnightly; you come into the centre once a month for group sessions and assessment.
