Programme Origin
The Skills Partnerships between Senegal, Ghana and Germany is a forty-seven-month project running from October 2023 to August 2027. It was established to deliver professional training in the construction sector and to address the limited legal migration channels available to workers from Ghana and Senegal, despite a clear demand for their skills in Europe. The project’s core mission is to create a long-term, sustainable infrastructure for the safe and orderly migration of skilled workers from Ghana and Senegal to Germany.
Through an extensive study of labour markets and educational pathways, the project aims to develop and test a scalable, demand-driven and financially sustainable skills partnership model. This initiative is designed to be a “triple-win,” benefiting migrants who gain skills, origin countries through stronger vocational systems and destination countries by addressing labour shortages. The ultimate aim is to create a blueprint for future talent and mobility partnerships between the EU and partner countries.
Funders and Participating Organisations
The project is funded by the European Union through the Migration Partnership Facility (MPF) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Agency for International Cooperation). It has a budget of EUR 4,290,061.50, with 89.55 percent coming from the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).
The project is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Agency for International Cooperation) and involves a partnership between Germany, Senegal, and Ghana. It emphasises a “co-creation approach” with a wide network of stakeholders to ensure relevance and sustainability.
German and local private sector organisations, including the National Building Association representing over 4,500 companies in North Rhine-Westphalia, play an active role in shaping training programmes. The project also collaborates with local Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions to strengthen infrastructure and curricula, with additional support from an expert from Germany’s International Master Craftsman School contributing to programme development in Senegal. Furthermore, stakeholders from government and diaspora associations are engaged in developing the partnership model and support systems.
Progress to Date
As of June 2025, the project’s foundational work is well underway, with three distinct mobility models being developed and tested. The project is structured around a dual-track system: a “home” track for local employment and an “abroad” track for mobility to Germany.
- Training in Germany with local preparation: Participants complete a language course in their home country before undertaking vocational training in Germany. Preliminary results from March 2025 were encouraging, with 22 of 24 participants in Senegal and 19 of 20 in Ghana passing the A2 German language exam.
- Two-track training across borders: In Senegal, a new “road construction” training programme is being developed to meet both local needs and German standards. In Ghana, a blended training model is being tested, with employer surveys and curriculum comparisons already completed to identify and address skill gaps.
- Pre-departure training for direct employment: Based on Germany’s updated Skilled Workers Immigration Act, this model provides short-term, targeted training in Ghana and Senegal based on skills gap analyses before participants migrate for direct employment.
Overall Targets: The project aims to train up to 360 participants in the “home” track for local employment, while 180 participants will be selected for the “abroad” track to continue their training in Germany.
Major Takeaways and Lessons Learned
There are several principles central to the project’s design and initial success:
- Strong networks are key: The long-term success of the initiative is seen as dependent on the strong network of partnerships being built across the private sector, government, educational institutions and diaspora associations.
- Value of co-creation: The project emphasises a “co-creation” approach, involving all stakeholders in the joint development of the partnership model to ensure it is pragmatic and effective.
- Strengthening circular migration: By investing in skills that are valuable both at home and abroad, the project strengthens the potential for circular migration, a core goal of skills partnerships.
What’s Next
The first departures for the mobility component of the project are planned for the end of July 2025. Following these initial pilots, the next steps will involve scaling up the successful models, refining curricula based on evolving labour market needs and continuously engaging with employer networks in all three countries. The long-term goal is to establish pragmatic procedures for skills recognition and labour mobility that can be replicated between other EU and partner countries.
Resources and Further Reading
MPF Projects Info Note on Skills Partnerships between Senegal/Ghana and Germany
MPF Blog Post: Building pathways: a blueprint for sustainable labour migration in construction