For Africa to realise its immense potential – and address the anticipated doubling of its youth workforce to 1.6-billion people by 2050 – technical and vocational education and training (TVET) must be championed, delegates to the first-ever Africa Skills Week (ASW) conference heard today.
ASW takes place in Accra from 14 to 18 October 2024. It is hosted by the Government of Ghana in partnership with the African Union (AU); supported by Germany through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); International Labour Organization (ILO); UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; World Bank; Ghana’s Commission for TVET (CTVET); and Ghana’s Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
The theme for the five-day conference is “Skills and jobs for the 21st century: quality skills development for sustainable employability in Africa”.
In a keynote address, Sierra Leonean Deputy Minister of Technical and Higher Education Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara told the audience that Africa has the youngest population in the world, and that over 60% of Africa’s current population is younger than 25 years of age.
He continued that “we have to brace for the imagined challenges”, as well as the opportunities for growth and social transformation, that the imminent doubling of the continent’s young working-age population will bring.
In his experience in Sierra Leone, but also elsewhere, tertiary education has previously focused too heavily on producing graduates for white-collar occupations instead of on the vital, skills-based training that TVET education provides.
“This mindset has to change,” he said, explaining how his country had created its Ministry of Technical and Higher Education precisely to address this issue, as well as TVET colleges and centres of excellence. These interventions are set to address the skills needed for seven economic priority areas identified by a labour market survey, with the aim of creating 500 000 jobs for young Sierra Leoneans.
Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, head of Ghana’s CTVET, echoed Mr Aziz-Kamara’s words around the necessity for planning for the continent’s skills future, asking, “The Fourth Industrial Revolution is almost ending, and what is Africa doing if our working population is doubling in the next 26 years?”
He hailed this maiden ASW, the first such event on the continent, as an important step in addressing this question. “This week is not for Ghana; this week is for Africa,” he said, applauding the AU’s initiative in driving ASW.
A youthful voice in support of ASW came from Ghanaian Ms Asimawu Tahiru, a youth leader with the Global Partnership for Education, the only partnership worldwide dedicated to funding education in lower-income countries.
“TVET functional literacy has made huge impacts in my life … I am an example [of its worth],” Ms Tahiru told the audience. She said this is why she is determined to promote TVET widely, especially for young women.
“I [believe] there should be an investment in TVET sectors,” Ms Tahiru said, calling for greater TVET funding.
The official opening of Africa Skills Week takes place on 15 October 2024, with a keynote address by the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
