About this module
This module is for trainees going on a placement after any of the hub's trainings: farming, soap making, solar, recycling, welding and more. It is used before, during and after the placement.
Who it is for. Trainees at National Proficiency I. NP I is a bridging level for people with little or no formal education; holders do routine tasks under close supervision, and no formal certificate is needed to enter. Placements that involve chemicals or machines need trainees aged 18 or over.
What WEL means
WEL is structured learning in industry, such as industrial attachments, internships and apprenticeships, where learners see real workplace processes, technologies and practices. It used to be called "industrial attachment". Learners build technical skills and also the behaviour, attitudes and standards employers expect, such as teamwork, communication and problem-solving.
CTVET status. WEL is part of CTVET's competency-based training system, and CTVET's job includes linking training providers with industry for WEL. The original WEL manuals and forms (a partnership agreement, a WEL manual, a workplace assessor manual and marking guidelines) are described in a 2011 report but are not online. This module is not those documents. Ask CTVET for the current WEL guidelines.
How the module works
Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent from what your assessor sees, asks and reads in your logbook. Most of this module happens at the workplace.
Unit 1 · Your safety and rights at work
You are there to learn, not to be put in danger or treated badly. Know your rights before you start.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 1.1 Work safely | uses the PPE given; follows safety rules; reports hazards |
| 1.2 Know the law on danger | states the right to leave imminent danger and report it |
| 1.3 Know your rights | names working hours, breaks, written agreement and who to complain to |
| 1.4 Respond to harassment | names harassment and where to report it |
Range. Any host workplace. Evidence. Oral questions; observation; signed agreement in logbook.
Safety rules from the Labour Act
- Your employer must give PPE free and show you how to use it; you must use it.
- Employers must provide safe equipment and systems of work, training and supervision suited to your age and literacy, protection from fumes and dust, drinking water and separate toilets for men and women.
- If you reasonably believe there is imminent and serious danger, report it to your supervisor and move away. You cannot be dismissed or lose pay for doing so.
- Employers must report work accidents within 7 days.
In a 2026 national survey, the problems learners named on WEL included no PPE (22.6%) and unsafe workplaces (16.0%). Tell your coordinator straight away if this happens to you.
Hours and breaks
The normal maximum is 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Continuous work needs a break of at least 30 minutes.
Age rules
| Age | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | No general employment | Children's Act 1998 |
| 15 or after basic school | May be apprenticed to a craftsperson | Children's Act 1998 |
| Under 18 | No hazardous work (machines, chemicals) and no night work | Children's Act 1998 |
| 18 to under 21 | "Young person": no work with physical or moral hazard; needs a medical fitness certificate | Labour Act 2003 |
Written agreement and release certificate
An apprenticeship agreement must be in writing and signed with a parent or guardian (for someone under 18), and must not include an initiation ceremony that harms the child. The craftsperson must give a certificate of release when training ends; refusing without good reason is an offence. Disputes go to the district labour officer. The ILO recommends that every agreement states the workplace, length, pay, hours, rest, safety, how disputes are solved and the skills to be learned.
Harassment
Sexual harassment means unwelcome sexual advances or requests from an employer, a boss or a co-worker, to a man or a woman. A lawyer has warned that the Labour Act's protection may cover only people already employed, so trainees may fall in a gap. Report harassment to your coordinator at once. You can also go to the Police, including the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), or the National Labour Commission.
What would you do?
- Your host gives you no gloves for handling caustic soda.
- The supervisor asks you to work until 9 pm every day.
- A machine is sparking and smoking near you.
- A co-worker keeps making sexual remarks and touching you.
- Your master refuses to give you a release certificate after you finish.
Know your agreement
- Read your placement agreement with your coordinator, line by line.
- Find: start and end dates, hours, who supervises you, PPE, what happens if you are hurt or ill.
- Sign it (with a parent or guardian if under 18); keep a copy in your logbook.
- Write the emergency phone numbers in your logbook.
Talk at home
Explain your rights at work to someone at home. Write two questions they asked.
Unit 2 · What WEL is
WEL joins the classroom to real work. Knowing who does what helps you use it well.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 2.1 Explain WEL | explains WEL and why it matters |
| 2.2 Know the roles | names the trainee, coordinator, host supervisor, assessor and verifier roles |
Range. The trainee's own placement. Evidence. Oral questions.
Why it matters
WEL works best when there are enough placements, good supervision, a placement that matches the training, and regular monitoring and assessment. In a tracer study of 1,614 competency-based graduates, over 91% of early graduates were employed or self-employed within six months.
Who does what
| Person | Role |
|---|---|
| You, the trainee | Learn, work safely, keep your logbook, ask questions |
| Coordinator (training centre) | Finds the placement, visits you, solves problems |
| Host supervisor | Shows you the work and checks it daily |
| Workplace assessor | Judges how you work and your hand skills |
| External verifier | Checks the assessment was fair (people from industry) |
Industry writes the occupational standards, supports training through WEL and provides external verifiers. The system names facilitators, assessors, and internal and external verifiers.
In the Western Region
Host firms in Takoradi used in early pilots included GHACEM, the Naval Base and VRA's Aboadze thermal plant. Jospong Group, CTVET and the Ghana TVET Service signed a WEL partnership for Recycling Technology that includes Takoradi Technical Institute. About 200 companies were accredited by CTVET to offer WEL.
Map your hosts
List five workplaces near you where people use the skill you trained in. Write how you could reach each one.
Unit 3 · Get ready for your placement
A good first week starts before you arrive.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Prepare | knows the address, start time, supervisor's name and route |
| 3.2 Present yourself | introduces self politely; dresses for the job |
| 3.3 Use core skills | shows good timekeeping, communication and teamwork |
Range. Induction at the centre; first day at the host. Evidence. Role play; induction checklist.
Core skills
Ghana's competency-based apprenticeship training includes core skills: English, maths, science, ICT, climate change, health and safety, getting on with people, and entrepreneurship. The 2026 TVET Report recommends orientation on employability and safety before placement. Pilot induction workshops explained the purpose, the skills to learn, how assessment works and who to contact.
- Know the place. Address, route, transport cost, start time.
- Know the people. Supervisor's name and phone number.
- Dress right. Clean work clothes; the PPE for your trade.
- Bring your logbook and a pen every day.
- Arrive early. Ten minutes before start.
- Greet and listen. Introduce yourself; ask before touching tools.
First-day role play
- In pairs, one plays the supervisor, one the trainee.
- Practise: greeting, introducing yourself, saying what you learned at the centre, asking what to do and where the toilets, water and first-aid box are.
- Swap roles. The class gives feedback.
Plan the journey
Work out your route and daily transport cost to the placement. Write it in your logbook.
Unit 4 · Learn on the job
Watch, try, ask, write it down. Every day.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 4.1 Follow instructions | carries out tasks as shown, safely |
| 4.2 Keep the logbook | writes a dated entry every day, signed weekly by the supervisor |
| 4.3 Seek feedback | asks for feedback and acts on it |
Range. Daily work at the host. Evidence. Logbook; supervisor reports.
The logbook
Your logbook is your proof. Each day write: the date, hours, tasks done, tools used, what you learned, and any problem. Your supervisor signs each week. Assessment evidence can also include objects you made, pictures, videos and written testimonials. Ask before taking photos at work, and ask people before photographing them.
Feedback
Only 73% of learners on WEL get feedback; 27% get none. Don't wait: ask your supervisor every Friday, "What did I do well? What should I improve?"
Apprenticeship customs
In informal apprenticeships in Accra, almost all masters charged a fee at the start, many charged a graduation fee, and most apprentices received "chop money". Apprenticeships often end with a graduation party, sometimes organised by trade associations. A short WEL placement is not the same as a 3-year apprenticeship: discuss any fee with your coordinator first.
A week of entries
- Write a full logbook entry every day of your first week.
- On Friday, ask your supervisor for feedback and write it down.
- Get the week signed.
- Show it to your coordinator on the monitoring visit.
One new thing
Each week, teach one thing you learned at work to a friend or family member. Note it in your logbook.
Unit 5 · Be assessed at work
Your assessor watches real work. Show your skill, your safety and your manner.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 5.1 Understand assessment | explains Competent / Not Yet Competent and what evidence is used |
| 5.2 Show competence | performs tasks to standard while observed |
| 5.3 Build a portfolio | collects logbook, products, photos and testimonials |
Range. Tasks from the trainee's trade. Evidence. Workplace assessment sheet; portfolio.
How you are judged
In the COTVET pilots, the workplace assessment sheet judged working manner and hand skills, and this record was needed to graduate. Assessment means collecting evidence so an assessor can judge whether you meet the standard; evidence can come from a portfolio, a trade test and an interview, and must be valid, authentic, current and sufficient.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
If you already have skills from work, RPL lets you be assessed and certified for them using the same instruments.
Mock assessment
- Your supervisor or coordinator picks one task from your trade.
- Do it while being watched. They score working manner (safety, tidiness, timekeeping, attitude) and hand skills.
- Discuss the result: Competent or Not Yet Competent, and why.
- Add the sheet to your portfolio.
Portfolio check
Make a list of everything in your portfolio. What is missing? Plan how to get it.
Unit 6 · From placement to earning
The placement ends. Your income begins: a job, or your own business.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 6.1 Look for work | asks the host and others for work; presents logbook and certificate |
| 6.2 Plan a business | writes a simple start-up plan: tools, costs, prices, customers |
| 6.3 Find support | names registration steps and support agencies |
Range. Waged work or self-employment. Evidence. CV or profile; business plan.
What graduates face
Over 85% of tracer-study graduates reported better working conditions and income; self-employed graduates often take on up to 3 apprentices; the main problems are start-up capital, tools and workspace. Few informal masters keep their apprentices after training, and most apprentices plan their own business.
Registering a business
The Office of the Registrar of Companies registers business names; its 2026 fees list GH¢130 for a business name and GH¢70 for the annual renewal. Check current fees before you go.
Support
- Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) replaced NBSSI and has Business Advisory Centres across the districts.
- National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP), launched 2025: free competency-based training, certification, start-up capital and equipment.
- Savings groups (VSLAs): members save together and lend to each other.
- YouStart was ended in the 2025 Budget.
My next step
- Before you leave, ask your host: "Do you have work for me, or can you recommend me?" Ask for a written testimonial.
- Write a one-page plan: job or business; tools needed and their cost; first customers; price for your service.
- Visit or call the nearest GEA Business Advisory Centre and ask what support they offer.
- Present your plan at the review week.
Join or start a savings group
Find a VSLA or susu group near you. Write how it works and what it would take to join.
Unit 7 · Hosting a trainee
For host employers and supervisors. Trainees read it too, so they know what good hosting looks like.
Competency standard (for the trainee)
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 7.1 Know what good hosting is | names three things a host should provide |
A good host
- Gives a safe workplace, free PPE, training suited to the trainee's age and literacy, drinking water and toilets.
- Uses a written agreement and a training plan; supervises and mentors; gives feedback.
- Supervises with qualified staff and keeps a fair balance of trainees to workers, so trainees do not replace paid staff.
- For a trainee under 18: provides food (unless agreed otherwise), a safe environment, takes responsibility for harm, and issues a release certificate.
Why host?
Hosts get extra hands, a chance to train future staff, and links with training centres. The top reasons more employers don't host are weak links with training centres and no incentives. Some programmes give hosts and trainees support such as insurance, stipends, transport and PPE.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| WEL | Workplace Experience Learning: training at a real workplace |
| Host | The workplace that takes a trainee |
| Coordinator | Training-centre staff who arrange and monitor placements |
| Assessor | Person who judges if you are competent |
| Verifier | Person who checks the assessment was fair |
| Logbook | Your daily written record of work and learning |
| Portfolio | Your collection of evidence |
| RPL | Recognition of Prior Learning |
| Release certificate | Paper the master must give when apprenticeship ends |
| PPE | Personal protective equipment |
| VSLA | Village Savings and Loan Association |
Logbook
Copy these pages into an exercise book. Your logbook is your main assessment evidence.
- Signed placement agreement (copy)
- Emergency numbers and supervisor's phone
- Route and transport cost
- Daily entries: date, hours, tasks, tools, what I learned, problems
- Weekly supervisor signature and feedback
- Mock assessment sheet
- Testimonial from the host
- Next-step plan
- Every homework, dated
Self-check quiz
- What does WEL stand for?
- Who must pay for your PPE?
- What should you do if there is imminent and serious danger?
- What is the normal maximum working day?
- What is the minimum age for hazardous work?
- What must a master give you when your apprenticeship ends?
- Where do apprenticeship disputes go?
- Name two things you write in your logbook every day.
- What two things did the pilot assessment sheet judge?
- Name one place to get business support.
Further reading and sources
Best next reads: CTVET's Ghana TVET Report 2026 (section on WEL); the Labour Act 2003 Part XV; the Children's Act 1998 part on apprenticeship.
What this module does not cover: trade skills themselves (see the hub's other manuals), National Service, SSNIT and pensions, and whether workers' compensation law covers trainees (not confirmed).
Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.