Shaping Africa’s Skills Future: Reflections from Africa Skills Week 2025

Africa Skills Week 2025 took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 13 to 17 October and brought together policymakers, youth, educators, development partners and private sector leaders from across the continent. The week created an important platform to accelerate Africa’s skills transformation agenda and strengthen collaboration on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).

One of the major highlights was the launch of the Continental TVET Strategy 2025–2034 and the validation of its Implementation Plan. These milestones marked a significant moment in advancing the African Union’s ambition for a skilled, inclusive and future-oriented continent. The Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA), a programme of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), supported by Germany, contributed throughout the week by supporting discussions and activities that reflected the four pillars of the new strategy: policy, governance and finance; quality and inclusion; partnerships and knowledge sharing; and institutional development, technology and innovation.

SIFA supported the African Union Commission in hosting a closed technical workshop that focused on aligning national TVET policies with the new continental framework. Representatives from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Togo explored how their national systems align with the Strategy’s vision, shared experiences and good practices, and identified common gaps. The session offered a valuable opportunity for peer learning and strengthened collective ownership of the Strategy’s roll-out.

Demonstrating its commitment to inclusive and innovative skills development, SIFA also led the session “Learning from Namibia: Mobilising Youth-Led Innovations through TVET Systems.” This discussion showcased a Namibian pilot project where young people created practical solutions to local challenges in inclusion, green skills and digital skills. The session highlighted the Strategy’s call for TVET systems that are adaptable and guided by the creativity and leadership of young people.

In partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), SIFA presented a think piece on apprenticeship development in Africa. The session explored ways to strengthen the linkages between informal and formal training systems and offered important reflections on how to improve the quality and impact of apprenticeship pathways for young people.

Another key milestone was the validation session for the Strategy’s Implementation Plan. Led by the African Union Commission and the African Union Development Agency, the session brought together Member States to refine and endorse the roadmap that will guide implementation in the coming years. This marked an important step toward better coordination, transparency and innovation in policy execution across the continent.

For SIFA, Africa Skills Week 2025 was both a moment of reflection and a transition towards a wider continental scale. The week reinforced the value of co-creation, partnership and youth-centred approaches in building the skills systems Africa needs. As the focus now turns to implementation, SIFA remains committed to supporting inclusive, innovative and future-ready TVET systems that place young Africans at the centre of the continent’s skills transformation.