STEM Education Reform in Ghana: Equipping Youth for Industrial Workforce Demands

Ghana’s transition to an industrialized economy requires urgent reforms in secondary STEM education to address critical workforce shortages. This paper examines how strategic integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) into Ghana’s secondary curriculum can cultivate skills for emerging technology sectors while supporting inclusive development. Drawing on global, continental, regional, and national perspectives, the review identifies best practices, gaps, and opportunities. The findings highlight systemic barriers including weak teacher capacity, limited infrastructure, gender disparities, and inadequate industry linkages. Comparative insights from China, South Korea, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa demonstrate the importance of holistic policies, robust teacher development, and strong industry-education linkages (Freeman, Marginson, & Tytler, 2019; Yusuf & Afolabi, 2021; Zhou & Zhang, 2020). The paper concludes with recommendations for Ghana to strengthen teacher training, invest in infrastructure, promote gender equity, and enhance policy implementation, ultimately ensuring that STEM education becomes a driver of industrial workforce readiness (Adeyemo, 2021; Ampofo & Osei, 2020).