What does it look like when learning turns into real opportunities?

In Ghana, it might mean a young woman learning how to run a greenhouse, a group of graduates setting up a cooperative, or a trainee saving part of their allowance to start a small business.

These are the kinds of changes taking shape through the ACTIVATE Project (Accelerating Change Through Innovation in Agricultural TVET), led by Social Enterprise Ghana with partners including the World University Service of Canada and the Mastercard Foundation.

The project is ambitious: by 2028, it aims to reach up to 20,000–25,000 young people across the country. But its impact is already visible. Around 10,000 young people have taken part so far, and many are already putting their skills to use.

Learning that stays close to home

Rather than asking people to travel far, ACTIVATE brings training closer to where they live. Through 50 regional centres, young people from rural and peri-urban areas can access practical, hands-on learning linked to agriculture and local industries.

What participants are gaining through the project:

• Specialised technical skills: Training in mango and cashew value chains, agri-mechanisation, and fabrication.
• Climate-smart tools: Hands-on experience with post-harvest equipment and sustainable greenhouses to improve productivity.
• Professional guidance: Access to career mentoring and support to navigate the transition from training to the workforce.
• Pathways to entrepreneurship: Assistance in forming cooperatives or launching small businesses through start-up kits and financial support.
• Local impact: Skills that allow young people to strengthen food systems and reduce waste directly within their own communities.

Turning skills into something more

Alongside technical training, participants receive career guidance, mentoring, and support to help them take their next steps. Some graduates move into jobs or internships. Others choose a different path, starting their own small businesses or forming cooperatives with people they trained alongside.

There are also plans to go further by helping graduates turn ideas into reality through start-up kits and financial support, so more young people can launch and grow their own enterprises.

Ultimately, the success of ACTIVATE is found in the individual stories of its participants. As these young leaders turn their new skills into thriving businesses and sustainable farms, they aren’t just building careers, they’re building a legacy of self-reliance for their communities and a greener future for the planet.

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