Design and Technology Institute

Name

Design and Technology Institute

Legal name

Design and Technology Institute

Website

https://dtiafrica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Industrial Design Services (54142)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

CNC Plasma/Laser Cutting & Automated Fabrication Training (EDAOADAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical & Vocational Education & Training (TVET) (BPADAKAD), Industrial CAD/CAM for Manufacturing (EDAOAGAG)

Keywords

• Vocational training
• Welding education
• Design innovation
• TVET programs
• Workplace learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Accra

HQ country

Ghana

HQ region

Africa

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: DTI charges tuition fees for its three programmes (Precision Welding & Fabrication, Design Innovation, Entrepreneurship) with academic year divided into three terms. Flexible payment plans are offered with 50% payment required before reopening and remaining 50% by end of first term.
2. Mastercard Foundation Partnership (Young Africa Works): DTI receives significant funding from the Mastercard Foundation under the 'Transforming Youth TVET Livelihoods for Sustainable Jobs' partnership, which aims to create 40,000 job opportunities for young people with focus on females and the vulnerable.
3. AUDA-NEPAD/KfW SIFA Project Funding: DTI received a grant from AUDA-NEPAD SIFA Project, financed by KfW, toward the cost of the Transforming Youth TVET Livelihoods for Sustainable Job Creation project, including construction of Phase One Works for the Berekuso Campus.
4. Corporate Donations and Infrastructure Support: DTI accepts donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations including cash contributions toward campus infrastructure, building materials, construction supplies, and equipment donations (welding machines, computers, 3D printers, robotics kits, solar panels).
5. Scholarship Sponsorship: DTI offers full tuition scholarships to residential and non-residential applicants through donor sponsorship, covering tuition, feeding, hostel, and student bills. Scholarship tiers include Residential (USD 17,931/yr), Non-Residential with Feeding (USD 16,366/yr), and Non-Residential Tuition Only (USD 12,783/yr).
6. Industry Partnerships and Workplace Experience Learning: DTI partners with 105 industry partners who provide work placements for students through the WEL programme. Partners benefit from access to trained graduates while DTI receives industry exposure opportunities for learners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Design and Technology Institute (DTI) is a nonprofit Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution headquartered in East Legon, Accra, Ghana. It delivers hands-on training programs in precision welding and fabrication, design innovation, entrepreneurship, and workplace experience learning to youth aged 16-27. The institute is Ghana's National Centre of Excellence for TVET and was the first institution in Africa to achieve AWS SENSE accreditation.

Product overview

The Design and Technology Institute (DTI) operates as a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institution offering a unified educational platform built around three core programmes: Precision Welding & Fabrication (an 18-month AWS SENSE-accredited programme), Design Innovation (an 18-month Pearson BTEC-accredited programme), and Entrepreneurship (a 12-month practical business skills programme). These are supplemented by enrichment modules including the Workplace Experience Learning (WEL) programme for industrial attachment, the Community Innovation Programme (CIP) for startup incubation, and generic courses in English, Mathematics, and ICT. DTI positions itself as Ghana's National Centre of Excellence for TVET, integrating hands-on practical training with theoretical education within a dual TVET-cum-production school model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Precision Welding & Fabrication Programme A 14-month hands-on TVET program delivering precision welding and fabrication training to Ghanaian youth, accredited by AWS SENSE (making DTI the first AWS SENSE accredited institution in Africa), Pearson BTEC, and CTVET. Graduates obtain internationally portable welding credentials.
• Design Innovation Programme Design thinking and product innovation training delivered as part of DTI's curriculum, pairing technical trades with prototyping skills supported by 3D printers and other fabrication tools. Targeted at the same youth cohort as the welding programme.
• Entrepreneurship Programme Business and entrepreneurship training that enables graduates to start fabrication and design-led businesses of their own, integrated into DTI's TVET pathways.
• Workplace Experience Learning (WEL) Industry placement program partnering with companies such as Tullow Oil to provide on-the-job training and a direct recruitment pipeline from training to employment.
• Community Innovation Programme (CIP) Community-based innovation projects that extend DTI's training model into local communities, using design and fabrication skills to solve community challenges.
• Enrichment Courses Short-form TVET enrichment courses offered by DTI as standalone learning offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70%+ of graduates gain employment within six months after graduation, validated by IFC assessments
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Accra Technical UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2025MoU signed March 4, 2025 to integrate Precision Quality curriculum into relevant courses, support unemployed alumni aged 16-35 with six-month upskilling programme, and enhance the university's Career Centre. 766 students enrolled in year one.
• Ho Technical UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2021MoU signed April 29, 2021 to implement Precision Quality curriculum. DTI handed over an Innovation Hub and upgraded workshops (Hospitality, Welding, Fashion) at estimated cost of 1.5 million Ghana Cedis. Partnership expanded in Phase 2 with Precision Quality Centre of Excellence.
• IFC (International Finance Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020IFC supported DTI in launching Programme Advisory Committees (PACs) for all three programmes. The partnership helps align curriculum with industry needs and improve employability of graduates.
• Accents & Art (A&A)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016DTI was founded on the Accents & Art factory floor to provide youth with work-readiness skills. A&A continues as a key WEL partner and collaborator on the Precision Quality Internship Programme, providing production school environment for training.
• Kumasi Technical UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner for embedding Precision Quality curriculum at scale across Ghana's technical university system.
• Takoradi Technical UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU partner for embedding Precision Quality curriculum at scale across Ghana's technical university system.
• KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for technical collaboration and research support.
• CTVET (Commission for TVET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhana's TVET regulator provides accreditation for DTI programmes including National Certificate I & II in Welding and Fabrication and CAD/CAM. DTI collaborates with CTVET for national TVET policy development.
• Ghana Standards Authority (GSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDTI collaborates with GSA for national policy in precision quality and standardisation as part of systems change approach.
• WorldSkills GermanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for skills excellence and benchmarking.
• Columbia University SIPAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to enhance Ghana's Labour Market Information Systems (LMIS) and create a robust system for policymakers to understand labour market requirements.
• Ministry of Employment and Labour RelationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDTI collaborates with the Ministry under the auspices of the annual Precision Quality Conference and for national TVET policy development.
• National Development Planning Commission (NDPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDTI partners with NDPC on annual PQ conferences and commissioned baseline study on human capital in Ghana to inform national policy development.
• 105 Workplace Experience Learning (WEL) PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDTI maintains partnerships with 105 companies across industries (welding & fabrication, construction, design innovation, hospitality) for mandatory six-month industrial attachment for all learners. Partners include Accent & Art, CSIR, Metal Craft Engineering, Ghana Tech Lab, and others.
• 21 Summer Internship PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partners providing summer internship opportunities across 14 industries for DTI learners.

Scale indicators23 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• WorldSkills International: Global non-profit that promotes vocational skills excellence through international competitions and benchmarks. Comparable to DTI via WorldSkills Germany partnership and shared commitment to global benchmarks, credentialing frameworks, and quality standards for vocational education.

Broad incumbents

• Ashesi University: Ghanaian private liberal arts and engineering university recognized globally for ethics, leadership, and industry-aligned curriculum. Comparable to DTI in mission to reshape African education, Ghana footprint, founder-driven model, and strong employer partnership network.
• African Leadership University (ALU): Pan-African higher education institution founded to develop African leaders through industry-aligned curricula. Comparable to DTI in mission to transform African skills development and in leveraging anchor donor funding (Mastercard Foundation among others), though ALU focuses on degree-level programs rather than TVET.
• KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology): Ghana's premier science and technology university with deep engineering, manufacturing, and applied sciences programmes. DTI lists KNUST as an academic collaboration partner, and KNUST represents the broader institutional incumbent whose technical education mandate overlaps with DTI's welding/design offerings.

Emerging players

• Andela: Africa-focused technology training and talent marketplace that recruits, trains, and connects African engineers to global employers. Comparable to DTI in building employer-aligned technical training pipelines and outcome-driven placement, though serving software/tech rather than welding/fabrication.
• African Leadership Academy: Pan-African pre-university and gap-year leadership and entrepreneurship programme with strong donor and corporate partnerships. Comparable to DTI in mission to develop African talent, anchor donor support, and integration of soft-skills/entrepreneurship training alongside technical content.

Direct peers

• Don Bosco Technical Institute (Ghana): Ghana-based vocational training institution delivering technical skills to youth with strong industry linkage and hands-on production training. Comparable to DTI in target demographic (youth aged 16-27), Ghana footprint, focus on technical/industrial skills, and church/nonprofit governance.
• African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS): Pan-African network of centres of excellence delivering postgraduate training in mathematical sciences with industry-aligned curricula across multiple African countries. Comparable to DTI's pan-African centre-of-excellence ambition, multi-country delivery model, and anchor-donor funding strategy.
• Ho Technical University: Ghanaian public technical university and DTI's MoU partner that hosts the Precision Quality Centre of Excellence at its Ho campus. Comparable to DTI as a TVET-credentialing institution in Ghana and as a curriculum-embedding partner within DTI's system-change approach.

Regional players

• Takoradi Technical University: One of Ghana's leading public technical universities and a DTI MoU partner for embedding the Precision Quality curriculum at scale. Comparable to DTI as Ghana TVET provider with technical university mandate serving the same employer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dtiafrica/videos
• Xx.com/dtiafrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/dtiafrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/design-and-technology-institute

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Design and Technology Institute