Tertiary education for mid-career level extension personnel: Ghana case study

What can you show employees if you can't show them the money? The answer sounds almost simple-minded: Improved job performance and satisfaction. The poor performance of African national extension systems is often linked to the low educational level and dwindling motivational levels of most frontline extension personnel.

In reaction to this situation, a university educational program was developed in Ghana with an innovative curriculum including supervised practical field experience. All levels of mid-career level extension personnel can apply to the program and, at the time of this study, 76 of these non-traditional students had already graduated from the program with a B.Sc. degree in Agriculture Extension.

Results of a national survey of graduates from this academic program indicate that improved educational opportunities for experienced extension staff results in direct benefits for the students themselves as well as for the national extension service, the farmers and even the university lecturers. Graduates of the program reported increased levels of confidence and competency in their jobs as a result of the B.Sc. degree program. Supervisors of the graduates reported an improvement of total work rate, human relations and supervisory skills. Lecturers reported better academic performance over traditional students. And farmer clients cited improved agriculture production as a result of working with the extension graduates.

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