The Head, Education Division, African Union Commission, Ms Sophia Ashipala, has urged African leaders to fashion out measures that address the challenge of skills mismatch on the continent.
According to her, there was an increasing gap between the skills provided by the education system and those required by industry and this must be addressed if the issue of unemployment was to be addressed on the continent.
“The growing gap between the skills provided by the global Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) agenda must address this mismatch through constant dialogue between education providers as well as local governments,” she emphasised.
Ms Ashipala made the call at the opening of the third day of the maiden edition of the Africa Skills Week (ASW) currently underway in Accra.
Speaking on the theme for the day “Rethinking TVET and skill development: Effective models for implementation in Africa”, she said stronger partnerships between governments, educational institutions and industries was essential for curriculum relevance and practical change.
“The private sector must be engaged, not just as a beneficiary, but as a co-creator of programmes, ensuring that the skills taught are the skills that are needed,” she said.
Ms Ashipala noted that for TVET to truly be a force for change, the negative perception that served as a barrier would have to change, adding that “We need to change the perception, because too often, and this has also been alluded to at several discussions yesterday, TVET is seen as a second-tier educational chain, overshadowed by academic pathways.
She said TVET must not be seen only an alternative, but as an equal, prestigious, and rewarding pathway to national development.
Ms Ashipala explained that the 21st century workplace was widely driven by technology and African nations must leverage emerging technology in TVET to bridge the gaps in infrastructure, quality, and access.
“E-learning platforms, augmented reality, and mobile training units are just some examples of how we can bring vocational skills to even the most remote areas,” she said.
She said the continent was blessed with green and abundant resources, however, the future required a shift towards a more sustainable, eco-friendly industry and this must not be lost on leaders.
“Green skills, those that support environmental sustainability, are becoming increasingly important,” she said.
The Director-General of the Commission for TVET, Dr Fred Kyei Asamoah, said the major gap militating against TVET on the continent was the lack of political will on the part of some African leaders and funding.
“The major gap we have got from the perspective of Africa is the political commitment that we need to really keep to what we put to people. You can see that most African countries may have fantastic policies, such as France, however, the only way we can bridge the gap in the situation is by showing commitment,” he said.
Dr Kyei Asamoah said Africa’s huge youthful population implied that the continent would have to recommit and focus on TVET education since it remained the only means of addressing unemployment
BY CLIFF EKUFUL