Mansa Trades Training Institute was opened in 1950 as a Trades School called Fort Rosebery Trades School. Only three courses were offered then, namely: Carpentry and Joinery, Bricklaying and Plastering and Plumbing and Sheet Metalwork. In 1965 the Trades School was closed due to shortage of staff. However, it was re-opened in 1968 under the Commission for Technical Education and Vocational Training.

In January 1968, the Institute shifted from the old Campus which was situated at Mansa Skills Centre to the present site and introduced a new course in Power Electrical bringing the total number of courses to four (4).

In 1985, Mansa Trades Training Institute was one of the Institutions under the Commission which were transferred to the Ministry of Science Technology and Vocational Training and finally in 1999, Mansa Trades Training Institute together with other institutions was hived off from Government to pave way for their creation as Management Board. 

Under the jurisdiction of the Management Board, the Institute expanded its course portfolio to include the following: Electrical technology, Automotive Engineering, Plumbing and pipe works, Bricklaying and Plastering, Water Operations, Metal fabrication and welding, Carpentry and Joinery, General Agriculture, ZICA Accountancy Programme, Information Technology/Computer Studies, Secretarial and Office Management, Special Education.

Since inception, the training programmes are offered at craft and trade certificate levels. The duration of a craft certificate programme is two (2) years, whilst trade certificate programme vary from three (3) months for level III, six (6) months for level II and one (1) year for level I.

The institute is now organised into five Technical and Vocational training sections with an addition of a new Academic Section introduced in 2014 to pilot the implementation of a Two-Tier System of education which is stipulated in the 2013 Education Curriculum framework. The academic section is a secondary school offering lessons from grade 8 – 12.