Gambiaj.com – (ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia) – Hon. Ousman Sillah, Secretary General of the Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASASNET), recently participated in the drafting of the Revised Continental Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) 2025-34 at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The event, held from August 6-8, 2024, brought together a multidisciplinary team of experts to develop a forward-thinking strategy aimed at transforming skills development and aligning it with labor market needs and the AU’s Agenda 2063.

As a key member of the drafting team, Sillah worked alongside representatives from various organizations, including the AUC, AUDA-NEPAD, ILO, UNESCO, and AfDB. The team’s mandate was to synthesize findings from a comprehensive review of the existing CTVET Strategy 2015-24, which was designed to tackle youth unemployment across Africa. The revised strategy is expected to offer new frameworks and strategic objectives to further enhance TVET systems, focusing on youth empowerment and job creation.

According to Hon. Ousman Sillah, SASASNET, the existing Continental Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to Foster Youth Employment 2015-24 was created to combat the rising issue of youth unemployment and underemployment in Africa. He explained that a review of this strategy became necessary due to the evolving economic and social landscape.

The review aimed to assess the progress made in achieving the goals, objectives, and priorities of the current CTVET Strategy 2015-24, and to identify concrete options and strategies for enhancing TVET policies and systems in Africa in the revised strategy.

The meeting concluded with remarks from key stakeholders, including Sabine Claus, Head of GIZ Skills Initiative for Africa, and Mrs. Sophia Ashipala, Head of Education Division at the AUC. Both expressed their satisfaction with the progress made and emphasized the importance of collaboration in ensuring the successful adoption and implementation of the revised strategy.

The draft strategy will undergo further technical review by AU member states in October 2024 before being presented for adoption by the AU’s policy organs, including the Heads of State Summit.