Kwadaso Agric College students turn ideas into market-ready agribusiness under CB-VET Ghana project

Innovation, entrepreneurship and practical skills are increasingly becoming the foundation of modern Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) in Ghana, a shift clearly demonstrated by the CB-VET Ghana Project.

For the past three years, over 500 students of Kwadaso Agricultural College, under the VET Ecosystems for Employability in Ghana (CB-VET) initiative, have embarked on an intensive entrepreneurship and business incubation journey.

This has culminated in the successful development, implementation and exhibition of market-ready and eco-friendly agribusiness products.

Through the project, lecturers were trained in modern teaching methods, business incubation and industry engagement, while students were exposed to hands-on product development, costing, branding, packaging and pitching of business ideas to potential investors and partners.

From processed foods and packaged farm produce to digital farming solutions and climate-smart innovations, the exhibition showcased what students can achieve when classroom learning is deliberately linked to business development, mentorship and real market demands.

The VET Ecosystems for Employability in Ghana (CB-VET) project is a major milestone of the European Union-funded Erasmus+ initiative, which spanned from December 2023 to November 2026, and now modernised to ATVET.

The project utilizes frameworks like the Business Model Canvas (BMC) to help training centres build income-generating services.

In his address as the project ends, Principal of Kwadaso Agric College, Albert Appiah Amoako, revealed that the entrepreneurship programme was deliberately designed as a joint intervention to strengthen ATVET by making agriculture education more practical, entrepreneurial, digitally responsive and aligned with industry and labour-market needs.

He said the project addresses the need for skilled agricultural graduates who can respond to climate change, modern agricultural technologies, food processing and the growing demand for sustainable agribusinesses.

According to Mr. Appiah Amoako, the program promoted stronger collaboration among vocational training institutions, industry, government agencies and other stakeholders to improve graduate employability and entrepreneurship.

“The traditional model of agricultural education, which focused heavily on theory and production alone, no longer meets the needs of today's agricultural economy,” Mr. Amoako noted.

“Employers now require graduates who can process, package, market, manage businesses and apply digital tools to solve farm and agribusiness problems.”

He added that the project has helped reposition the school not only as a training school, but as a hub for innovation, incubation and enterprise development for young people interested in agriculture.

Highlighting the key achievements and outputs, the Vice Principal of the college, Dr. Ishak Shaibu, said the project fostered industry-education collaboration between training institutions, private enterprises, public institutions and other agricultural stakeholders to ensure that training responds to real industry needs.

He further noted that the CB-VET Ghana promoted entrepreneurial learning, practical business development and a stronger link between agricultural education and employment opportunities.

Senior Project Consultant at Maastricht School of Management (MSM), Hans Nijhoff, highlighted that the program equipped students and trainers with skills in Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) production, agro-food processing and digital farming technologies.

Mr. Nijhoff said the emphasis on climate-smart production is particularly important, as farmers and agribusinesses must adapt to changing weather patterns, soil degradation and rising production costs, while still meeting growing demand for food.

“By linking training directly to private-sector needs, the project has helped reduce the mismatch between what graduates learn in school and what employers and the market actually require,” he said.

Ashanti Regional Director of Agriculture, Dr. David Anambam, emphasized on the essence of agriculture to Ghana's economy, its contribution to food and nutrition security, employment, income generation and rural development.

However, he said the sector is evolving rapidly due to climate change, technological advancement, changing market demands and the need for sustainable production systems.

He described the initiative as timely, saying it had strengthened ATVET and made agricultural education more responsive to the changing needs of the sector.

“Training institutions must therefore produce graduates who are not only knowledgeable but also technically competent, innovative, entrepreneurial and capable of addressing real-world challenges,” he urged.

He commended the European Union for its support through the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Vocational Education and Training programme, as well as Ghanaian and European partners for their collaboration.

The Product Exhibition and Business Pitch Competition wrapped up three years of intense learning, but also kicked off many entrepreneurial ventures. Several showcased business concepts have major commercial potential and will keep getting mentorship, networking and incubation support through the CB-VET Ghana project.