Vivo Energy Ghana and Applied Technology Institute Partner to Train Young Mechanics
Vivo Energy Ghana, the distributor and marketer of Shell-branded fuels and lubricants in the country, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Applied Technology Institute to launch a structured technical apprenticeship programme aimed at upskilling young mechanics in the informal sector.
The agreement, signed at a ceremony in Accra on Thursday, forms part of Vivo Energy Ghana’s broader Mechanic Advocacy Programme. It will combine classroom instruction with hands-on practical training, targeting improved technical competence, safety awareness and professionalism within the automotive industry.
Christian Li, Managing Director of Vivo Energy Ghana, said the partnership responded to a growing demand for skilled professionals in a rapidly evolving automotive and lubricants industry.
“The automotive and lubricants industry continues to evolve rapidly, creating a growing demand for highly skilled professionals equipped with strong technical capabilities and a firm commitment to safety,” Mr Li said at the signing event.
The collaboration is also expected to strengthen the link between academic learning and industry practice, a gap that has long challenged technical education in Ghana. Ing. Emmanuel Kotey Ashie, Principal of the Applied Technology Institute, said the partnership would give students and employees access to practical training and industrial exposure aligned with current market demands.
“Through this collaboration, our students and employees will benefit from practical training, industrial exposure, innovation and skills development aligned with current industry demands,” he said.
The initiative extends beyond technical training. Programme organisers say it will also support entrepreneurship by equipping participants with the business skills needed to establish automotive workshops, lubricant service centres or distribution businesses — a pathway that could absorb some of Ghana’s large youth unemployed population into self-employment.
Kerim Kermen, Vice President for Central Lubricants and Commercial at Vivo Energy Group, said the programme aligned with national skills development objectives and the company’s commercial goals in Ghana’s lubricants market.
Former ATI students who now work at Vivo Energy Ghana retail outlets and lubricant service centres shared their experiences during the ceremony, illustrating how practical industry exposure had shaped their career trajectories.
The partnership reflects a broader trend of corporations investing in vocational training as a strategy to build supply chains of skilled labour while addressing youth unemployment. Similar corporate-led education initiatives have gained momentum across Ghana’s private sector in recent years, though critics argue that more systemic investment in technical education infrastructure is needed to address the scale of the challenge.
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