In 1980, the legal framework establishing the Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) was instituted by an act of parliament to provide training opportunities to satisfy the middle level technical and vocational human resource requirements of the country. Its buildings were erected under the first World Bank Education Sector Project of the late seventies and it began operations in 1983 with the provision of Craft level programmes in a variety of technical and commercial disciplines, qualifications awarded by the City and Guilds of London Institute (CGLI), Royal Society of Arts (RSA) and Pitman Examining bodies.
From its inception to date the developments within the Institute have been guided by well thought out development plans and realistically set objectives. These developments have been based on the country's human resource development objectives as enshrined in various government policies and more specifically the Policy on Technical Education and Vocational Training and subsequently the current Vision 2020. In addition, the institute has undertaken continuous needs analysis in a bid to inform the planned proposals for development.
Over the years, the institute has expanded its programmes from the original craft level provision to full technological certificates; from Pitman and RSA programmes to AAT, ABE and ACCA programmes in Business Studies; from Manual Shorthand to computerised stenography; from Further Education Teacher training to Higher Teacher training and during the last three years a franchised HND in Construction Management conducted in collaboration with the University of the Gambia and South Bank University in the United Kingdom. As the University of the Gambia does not have the facilities to offer programs in Construction and Engineering, plans are on the way for the offering of a BSc in Construction and Civil Engineering and a post graduate Advanced Diploma in Further Education by the Institute in collaboration with the University of the Gambia. In addition, the Institute is in the process of developing access programmes to Higher Education.
The Student enrolment in 1983 was approximately 300 full-time equivalent. To date, enrolment has increased to over 1200 per annum with course provision in over sixty different programmes.