Our Vision
To be an institute of excellence, providing quality training to acquire knowledge, skills, attitudes and moral values for sustainable livelihood.
About the Institute
Rooted in community.
Built for practical futures.
Discover the story, purpose and partnerships behind St. Mary’s Technical Institute, Tamale.
Established 1975
Who we are
An institute of excellence empowering young women through technical and vocational skills
St. Mary’s Technical Institute is a faith-based, Government-assisted technical and vocational institution of the Catholic Archdiocese of Tamale, located in Tamale Metro, Northern Region. Founded in 1975, St. Mary’s has grown from a small private dressmaking centre into one of the leading all-female technical institutions in Ghana — proudly serving 507 students, drawn from the three Northern Regions of Ghana and beyond.
The Institute offers seven technical and vocational programmes, spanning fashion and textiles, hospitality, cosmetology, electrical engineering, and information technology, and operates under Ghana’s Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) system. St. Mary’s is committed to developing every student’s knowledge, skills, attitudes, and moral values for a sustainable livelihood — equipping young women with the practical competencies and confidence to build careers, enterprises, and futures of their own.
The Institute offers seven technical and vocational programmes, spanning fashion and textiles, hospitality, cosmetology, electrical engineering, and information technology, and operates under Ghana’s Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) system. St. Mary’s is committed to developing every student’s knowledge, skills, attitudes, and moral values for a sustainable livelihood — equipping young women with the practical competencies and confidence to build careers, enterprises, and futures of their own.
507Students
26Teaching and support staff
Our direction
Purpose that guides practical learning
Our Mission
St. Mary’s seeks to develop work and study attitudes as a strategy for lifelong educational training and sustainable approaches.
Core Values
Values we put into practice
Our shared standards shape how we teach, learn and serve our community.
Excellence
We pursue quality in every skill we teach and every student we train.
Faith
As an institution of the Archdiocese of Tamale, we educate in the Catholic tradition of service and moral formation.
Self-Reliance
In the spirit of our founding and our transition to self-sustaining operation, we prepare our students — and our institution — to stand on their own.
Empowerment of Women
For five decades, we have opened doors for young women across the Northern Regions who might otherwise have had none.
Lifelong Learning
We build attitudes toward work and study that serve our graduates long after they leave our gates.
Our story
Milestones in our journey
From a Dressmaking Centre to an Institute of Excellence
St. Mary’s Technical/Vocational Institute began in 1975 as a small private Dressmaking Centre, founded by Madam Philomina Oppong. Its purpose was simple but transformative: to train Middle School girls who had completed their education but had no chance of continuing further — giving them a practical trade and a path forward.
Archdiocesan Ownership and Donor Expansion
Most Rev. Peter Porekuu Dery (later Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery, of blessed memory), then Archbishop of Tamale, put up structures for the school in 1981. With support from Catholic Relief Services, CEBEMO (Dutch Catholic funding agency), and Rev. Fr. Martin Balaman, the school secured equipment, furniture, accommodation, and materials. The Archdiocese of Tamale formally took over the Institute in 1981.
NVTI Registration and Growth
In pursuit of self-reliance within the Catholic Church’s institutions, St. Mary’s was registered under the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI) in 2000, which oversaw the running of the Institute until 2021.
Transition to CTVET and Ghana TVET Service
St. Mary’s transitioned into Ghana’s Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) system within the Ghana TVET Service, combining Archdiocesan ownership with recognized national accreditation.
Digital Transformation with VIS Ghana & AICS
Through participation in the VIS Ghana SEE Project, supported by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), St. Mary’s continues its story of growth — restoring its website, strengthening ICT facilities, and building digital skills for staff and students.
Public accountability & Church ownership
Governance and accreditation
St. Mary’s Technical Institute is a faith-based, Government-assisted institution owned by the Archdiocese of Tamale and operating under Ghana’s Commission for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (CTVET) system, within the broader Ghana TVET Service. The Institute is administered by the Principal, supported by the ICT Head of Department, the JSO/Liaison Officer, and a body of 19 teaching staff, 5 administrative staff, and 2 dedicated ICT staff.
Having transitioned through NVTI oversight (2000–2021) into the CTVET system, St. Mary’s combines the stability of Archdiocesan ownership with recognised national accreditation — a foundation that has helped the Institute build one of the strongest ICT and maintenance profiles among Ghana’s technical institutes.
Having transitioned through NVTI oversight (2000–2021) into the CTVET system, St. Mary’s combines the stability of Archdiocesan ownership with recognised national accreditation — a foundation that has helped the Institute build one of the strongest ICT and maintenance profiles among Ghana’s technical institutes.
Stronger together
Partnerships that shaped our journey
St. Mary’s story has been shaped by partnership and generosity from the very beginning: the Catholic Archdiocese of Tamale, Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery, Catholic Relief Services, CEBEMO, Rev. Fr. Martin Balaman, NVTI, CTVET / Ghana TVET Service, and VIS Ghana & AICS (Italian Agency for Development Cooperation) through the SEE Project.
Beyond the workshop
Student life and community
Campus life at St. Mary's technical community fosters holistic formation through faith, mentorship, practical exhibitions, cultural activities, sports, and community service. These experiences develop leadership, confidence, and sisterhood among young women from across the Northern Regions.
