Search

Context: Faced with deep challenges with access to formal education, many West African countries are increasingly taking steps to reform their informal apprenticeship systems to make them a quality skills development alternative for their teeming youth. A review of the literature shows that although different countries in the region are deploying different reform strategies, what is emerging as a dominant reform model is the "dual training model" (DTM), a collaborative arrangement in which the task of training apprentices is shared between informal trainers (master craftspersons, under their respective trade associations) and formal vocational training institutions (FVTIs). This paper presents an outcome-process evaluation of a DTM-based apprenticeship reform programme piloted in Ghana. Methods: Designed as a case study, the paper adopts an interpretivist approach, relying on diverse sources of data, both secondary and primary. Secondary data includes journal articles, attendance registers of participants, memorandums of understanding, relevant media reports, websites, and official reports by all relevant actors. The primary data originated from in-depth interviews with fourteen (14) key informants, as well as from overt and covert observations of respondents. Results: At the outcome level, the paper shows that the programme has largely failed in transferring new skills or in changing dominant poor practices among trainees, foundational objectives of the programme. At the process level, the paper revealed deep flaws in implementation; these are discussed in detail in an attempt to clarify the programme outcomes. Conclusion: The paper concludes that although the dual training model remains a potentially viable reform model in informal apprenticeships, its success ultimately depends on the quality of implementation, which in turn depends on the strength and quality of inter-stakeholder collaboration in programme design and implementation.

Context: Faced with deep challenges with access to formal education, many West African countries are increasingly taking steps to reform their informal apprenticeship systems to make them a quality skills development alternative for their teeming youth. A review of the literature shows that although different countries in the region are deploying different reform strategies, what is emerging as a dominant reform model is the "dual training model" (DTM), a collaborative arrangement in which the task of training apprentices is shared between informal trainers (master craftspersons, under their respective trade associations) and formal vocational training institutions (FVTIs). This paper presents an outcome-process evaluation of a DTM-based apprenticeship reform programme piloted in Ghana. Methods: Designed as a case study, the paper adopts an interpretivist approach, relying on diverse sources of data, both secondary and primary. Secondary data includes journal articles, attendance registers of participants, memorandums of understanding, relevant media reports, websites, and official reports by all relevant actors. The primary data originated from in-depth interviews with fourteen (14) key informants, as well as from overt and covert observations of respondents. Results: At the outcome level, the paper shows that the programme has largely failed in transferring new skills or in changing dominant poor practices among trainees, foundational objectives of the programme. At the process level, the paper revealed deep flaws in implementation; these are discussed in detail in an attempt to clarify the programme outcomes. Conclusion: The paper concludes that although the dual training model remains a potentially viable reform model in informal apprenticeships, its success ultimately depends on the quality of implementation, which in turn depends on the strength and quality of interstakeholder collaboration in programme design and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community development (CD) is widely accepted within the mining industry as a major part of the industry's sustainability strategy. Consequently, over the last two decades, community development has gained root in the mining industry, providing a framework for mining company interactions with local communities around the world. Dedicated CD departments stocked with development specialists have since become a common fixture of mining company structures at all levels. This development has naturally triggered an avalanche of scholarly interest in the mining industry CD practices and outcomes. However, current literature on the subject has rarely explored mining companies' discourse on the "community" as is applied within the context of CD practice. Based on Wiering and Arts' three-level analysis of discourse, the paper interrogates the concept of the "community" as is understood and applied within the Ghanaian mining industry, at the ontological, normative, and strategic levels. The paper shows that mining companies hold three simultaneous ontological conceptualizations of the community: communities as victims; as enclaves of poverty; and as owners of social license, each differing slightly in its underlying logic to CD. Of all three conceptualizations, the owners of social license view, which is driven by an instrumentalist logic, dominates CD practice, allowing mining companies to approach CD largely as a risk management tool. At the normative level, companies have advocated "value creation" (for communities). At the strategic level, company–community partnerships have been proposed as the preferred method of accomplishing CD. These views of the community and their accompanying industry practices are dissected and policy proposals suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African immigrants in the United States experience disparities in HIV incidence. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) effectively prevents HIV infection, yet uptake is low among racial and ethnic minorities. To better understand PrEP adoption among African immigrants, in March 2020, we conducted interviews with Ghanaian immigrants (N = 40) to explore the barriers and ways to overcome these barriers to PrEP adoption. Participants described several barriers (e.g., low HIV knowledge and risk perception, fear of social judgment, cultural values, and norms), which may impede PrEP adoption. We categorized these barriers according to the levels of the socioecological model (individual, interpersonal, community, and organizational/structural factors). Participants also identified strategies to overcome the barriers, such as providing comprehensive education on HIV and PrEP. Our research provides foundational knowledge that can inform future PrEP research with Ghanaian and other African immigrants and offers important insights into factors that may impact PrEP adoption in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV/AIDS disproportionately burdens African immigrants in the United States. Oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective prevention tool for people at high HIV risk, yet uptake is low among racial and ethnic minorities—particularly immigrants. This study explores the awareness, perception, and willingness to use PrEP among Ghanaian immigrants in the United States. WhatsApp, a social media platform, was used to recruit and conduct semi-structured oral interviews with 40 Ghanaian immigrants in March 2020. Interview questions explored awareness of PrEP (whether the participants knew or had knowledge of PrEP before the study), perceptions of PrEP and PrEP users, and willingness to use PrEP. Interviews were audiorecorded, and transcribed. We used NVivo-12 Plus to analyze transcripts for emergent themes. Our sample consisted of Ghanaian adult immigrants (N = 40, 57% male, 71% college educated, age = 32.8 ± 5.7 years, 68% had lived in the United States between 1 and 10 years) residing in 12 US cities. Four major themes emerged: (1) low awareness of PrEP; (2) positive perception of PrEP for HIV prevention; (3) divergent views on PrEP users; and (4) mixed views on willingness to use PrEP. This study presents formative qualitative work, which suggests that Ghanaian immigrants, despite having low awareness of PrEP, may be willing to use PrEP. A key study implication was that stigma reduction interventions might facilitate PrEP scale-up in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration and mandatory study of research method courses by university students is a global phenomenon. However, students demonstrate apprehension and disinterest in research methods courses. Consequently, this study investigated the interplay among research methods anxiety, positive disposition toward research, perception of usefulness, self-efficacy, and academic effort in research. Paper-and-pencil questionnaires were used to collect data from a convenience sample of 636 technical university students in Ghana. Based on partial least squares structural equation modeling results, research anxiety reduces students' self-beliefs (β = −0.172; t = 2.729; p =.000) and negatively affects perception of research usefulness (β = −0.172; t = 2.729; p =.000). A positive disposition towards research enhances students' academic efforts in research (β = 0.919; t = 3.308; p = 0.001). Furthermore, self-efficacy drives students' efforts (β = −0.172; t = 2.729; p =.000), enhances positive disposition toward research (β = 0.191; t = 3.308; p =.001) and perception of research usefulness among students (β = 0.224; t = 3.064; p =.002). Students' perception of research usefulness mediates the relationship between anxiety and effort in research (β = −0.075; t = 3.653; p =.000), positive research disposition and effort (β = −0.056; t = 2.519; p =.012) as well as research self-efficacy and effort in studies (β = 0.083; t = 3.02; p =.003). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]