The research paper examined the value of skills training on the socio-economic profiles of beneficiaries of microfinance in the Northern Region of Ghana. The main interest of the study was to look into how skills training combine with microfinance enhances beneficiaries’ ability to cater for the education of their dependents, improves their ability to afford health care for their families, and to acquire more household assets as well as enhancing their empowerment.
The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative research designs drawing into both primary and secondary data. The research instruments used to gather data from sampled beneficiaries were interviewer administered questionnaires and focus group discussions. A purposeful random sampling technique was used to draw a total of 107 respondents from the clients of Grameen Ghana. The sample consisting of 82 beneficiaries enrolled into skills training and 25 beneficiaries without skills training from the same organization. A total of six (6) focus group discussions were held; four (4) with groups receiving skills training and two (2) with groups without skills training. The models used for the analysis of the data included descriptive statistics, regression, and paired sample t-test.
The outcomes of the research revealed that skills training complements microfinance services to improve the socio-economic status of beneficiaries, in relation to the education of their dependents, their family access to health care and empowerment. Conversely, the study has found that skills training have no influence on the household acquisition of assets.

Microfinance industry has achieved an unprecedented growth over the last two decades. Consequently, the landscape of the microfinance institutions (MFIs) has evolved to include a diverse array of institutional types. As a result of this increasing diversity, several classifications of MFIs based on performance and institutional set-up emerged to address the needs of donors and investors. Today, definitions that classify MFIs into tiers based on several dimensions that include size, maturity and sustainability are increasingly used by practitioners and researchers. The first part of this thesis presents the widely accepted tiered classifications of MFIs. The second part of the thesis analyzes the institutional development of six top-tier MFIs by investigating the changes in ownership, governance and human resources management across tiers. Finally, the thesis explores the commonalities and distinctive patterns in MFIs that advanced tiers over time, by examining the speed of growth, capital structure and performance.