Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • World
  • Africa
  • About/Team
  • More
    • InfoGraphics
    • Crime & Punishment
    • Tech
    • Health
    • Luxury
    • Finance
    • Law & Government
    • Religion
    • Environment
    • Media & Culture
    • Feature and Opinion
    • Home Decor
    • Fitness
    • Film & Drama
    • Ent & Arts
    • Investigative and Data insight
    • Documentary/Editorial Comments
    • Trending Stories
    • Documentary( Videos)
    • Commentary/Editorial Comments
Trending
  • GRA Targets GH¢47m in Unpaid Taxes: Graphic, GIHOC, TOR Named in Auditor-General’s Report
  • What Has Changed? Why Now?” – Bawumia Slams Tribal, Religious Attacks Against Him: “I Was Never a Mamprusi or Northerner When I Fought for Power! “
  • Ashanti REGSEC Tightens Security in Asawase After Deadly Attacks
  • Africa Loses $580 Billion Annually: AfDB Warns Corruption Must Stop to Save the Continent from a $2 Trillion Debt Trap
  • Ghana Commissions $3.5 Million Fertiliser Plant to Boost Agriculture Productivity
  • Galamsey Crisis: After Obuasi Helicopter Crash Tragedy, Government Considers Repeal of LI 2462 in Renewed Fight Against Illegal Mining
  • How a 16th-Century Mercator Map Distorted Africa—and Why the AU’s New Campaign Demands a Redraw
  • Mysterious Disappearances Rock Nsawam Prisons Again: Two Officers Reported Missing
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Ghanaian WatchGhanaian Watch
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • World
  • Africa
  • About/Team
  • More
    • InfoGraphics
    • Crime & Punishment
    • Tech
    • Health
    • Luxury
    • Finance
    • Law & Government
    • Religion
    • Environment
    • Media & Culture
    • Feature and Opinion
    • Home Decor
    • Fitness
    • Film & Drama
    • Ent & Arts
    • Investigative and Data insight
    • Documentary/Editorial Comments
    • Trending Stories
    • Documentary( Videos)
    • Commentary/Editorial Comments
Ghanaian WatchGhanaian Watch
Home » When the Garage Becomes a School: The Apprentices of Suame Magazine
Business

When the Garage Becomes a School: The Apprentices of Suame Magazine

adminBy adminApril 10, 2025Updated:May 10, 2025

By Alex Ababio

On a dusty street inside Suame Magazine in Kumasi, the sound of metal hitting metal rings loudly. Sparks fly as young boys in oily clothes bend over engines. There are no blackboards here. No chalk. But this is where many Ghanaian youth are learning to build their future—not in a classroom, but in a garage.

Suame Magazine is one of the largest industrial clusters in West Africa. It is home to over 200,000 artisans, technicians, welders, and spare parts dealers. But for thousands of young people, it is more than a marketplace—it is a training ground.

Ghana’s ‘Informal University’

According to the Ghana Statistical Service, about 1.7 million young people aged 15–35 are unemployed. Many of them cannot afford formal education or vocational training. For these youth, Suame Magazine is an alternative school.

Here, more than 12,000 apprentices are learning skills in auto mechanics, spraying, welding, and fabrication. There are no exams, no degrees, and no student loans. Yet, this informal system helps reduce youth unemployment and prepares many for self-employment.

“I came here after JHS because my parents couldn’t afford SHS,” says 17-year-old Kwabena Owusu, an apprentice mechanic. “Now I can fix engines and diagnose faults. In two more years, I’ll graduate and open my own shop.”

Learning Without Structure

The training system at Suame Magazine follows a traditional apprenticeship model. A master artisan trains an apprentice for three to five years. The apprentice pays a small fee—between GH¢500 and GH¢1,500—to be accepted. Some work without pay for years until they graduate.

However, there is no formal curriculum or supervision by any educational authority. The Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) admits that most of these training centres are unregulated.

“There is a big gap,” says Mr. Francis Adomako, a regional COTVET officer. “Many of these youths learn important skills, but without proper certification or safety standards, they face limits in job mobility.”

Apprentices often work in dangerous conditions—no gloves, no goggles, no insurance. Many suffer cuts, burns, or even lose fingers. According to a 2021 report by the National Board for Small Scale Industries, nearly 35% of youth apprentices in industrial areas like Suame have experienced a serious workplace injury.

Women Breaking Into the Garage Space

Traditionally, Suame Magazine has been male-dominated. But that is slowly changing. A growing number of young women are joining as electricians, welders, and auto sprayers.

“I was scared at first, but now I’m proud,” says 22-year-old Esther Mensah, who is in her third year of apprenticeship in auto-spraying. “People say women should stay in salons, but I love machines. I want to show girls we can do this too.”

Esther’s master says she is one of his best apprentices. Still, female apprentices often face harassment and discrimination. There are no formal support systems for women in trade training.

Big Dreams, Little Support

Despite the importance of Suame Magazine in providing practical training, many apprentices complain about the lack of government support. Some garages operate in wooden structures with no electricity or water.

In 2023, the government launched the YouStart initiative to help youth with business training and loans. But artisans in Suame say they have received little support.

“We hear big announcements on TV, but no real help comes here,” says Mr. Nana Amponsah, a master welder with over 25 years of experience. “These youth are the future, but nobody is investing in them.”

Experts believe that linking informal apprenticeship to formal technical education could improve skills and create more jobs. A World Bank study in 2022 found that informal apprenticeship systems in Ghana train more people than formal TVET schools, yet receive less than 10% of government skills funding.

From Tools to Transformation

Every day, as the sun sets over Suame Magazine, young hands wipe grease from their faces. They close toolboxes and sweep the floor. Their backs ache, but their eyes shine with hope.

These apprentices are not just fixing cars—they are fixing their futures. With better safety, recognition, and access to capital, their training could become the backbone of Ghana’s industrial future.

“We learn by doing,” says Kwabena with a smile. “No classroom, no computer. But we are building our dreams—one bolt at a time.”

COTVET Suame Magazine Vocational Training Youth Unemployment
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email WhatsApp Copy Link

Related Posts

Ghana Commissions $3.5 Million Fertiliser Plant to Boost Agriculture Productivity

August 18, 2025

CRI Credit Union’s Remarkable 2024 Recovery Marked by 52% Income Growth and 89% Equity Surge

July 11, 2025

Ahead of Nkoko Nkitinkiti Poultry Scheme National Launch: Best District Farmer Warns Lack of Youth Capacity-Building Could Collapse the Project

June 25, 2025
Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Top Posts

Antoa Zongo Elders Petition Antoahene Over Selection of First-Ever Sarki Zongo

March 19, 2025328

Inspector Remanded Over Shooting That Led to Senior Officer’s Death

May 18, 2025232

48-Year-Old Prophetess, Former Parliamentary Candidate Remanded for Alleged Murder

July 15, 2025217

Antoa Tragedy: One Dead, Two Critically Injured in Motorbike-Truck Collision

March 19, 2025209
About Us

Ghanaianwatch.com is a leading investigative and development journalism news website that delivers high quality unique , innovative, and unconventional news that questions the established norms.

It is an autonomous news outlet established back in 2010 as Ghanaian Watch Newspaper and holds registration number nmc/C.I 39/10/1294.with the National Media Commission( NMC).

Facebook X (Twitter) Pinterest YouTube WhatsApp
Our Picks

GRA Targets GH¢47m in Unpaid Taxes: Graphic, GIHOC, TOR Named in Auditor-General’s Report

August 26, 2025

What Has Changed? Why Now?” – Bawumia Slams Tribal, Religious Attacks Against Him: “I Was Never a Mamprusi or Northerner When I Fought for Power! “

August 24, 2025

Ashanti REGSEC Tightens Security in Asawase After Deadly Attacks

August 23, 2025
Most Popular

Antoa Zongo Elders Petition Antoahene Over Selection of First-Ever Sarki Zongo

March 19, 2025328

Inspector Remanded Over Shooting That Led to Senior Officer’s Death

May 18, 2025232

48-Year-Old Prophetess, Former Parliamentary Candidate Remanded for Alleged Murder

July 15, 2025217
Copyright © 2025 Ghanaian Watch. All Rights Reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Ad Blocker Enabled!
Ad Blocker Enabled!
Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors. Please support us by disabling your Ad Blocker.