Empowering Inclusive TVET through Experiential Upcycling: A Ghanaian Case Study on Textile Waste Reuse

Abstract

This study explores how experiential learning can be harnessed through textile waste upcycling to promote sustainable skills development within Ghana’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system. In response to the growing crisis of textile waste, especially from imported secondhand clothing, the Reclaim Textile Network Ghana piloted creative reuse programs across four universities, five senior high schools, a Rehabilitation Centre, and church women’s groups. Guided by Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory and an original conceptual framework, Experiential Upcycling for Sustainable Empowerment (EUSE), the intervention aimed to foster environmental awareness, hands-on creativity, and social inclusion. Using a qualitative case study design, the study employed purposive sampling to select 100 participants, with data collected through semi-structured interviews, workshop observations, photographs, and feedback forms. Thematic analysis revealed transformative learning outcomes: over 90% of participants gained practical upcycling skills, developed products from textile cutoffs, and demonstrated increased environmental consciousness. The intervention also enhanced social confidence, particularly among marginalized groups, and inspired entrepreneurial interest. The EUSE model emerged as a viable framework to integrate sustainability, creativity, and inclusive empowerment into TVET education. While the final exhibition is scheduled post-submission, evidence from participant outputs and testimonials confirms significant impact. This study underscores the potential of creatively repurposed textile waste as a pedagogical resource for skills development, environmental education, and circular economic inclusion in Africa.