The Pan African Initiative for the Digital Transformation of TVET in Africa: UNESCO and partners launch the first cohort of training for policy-makers

Dakar: UNESCO and its partners launch the first cohort of training for managers and decision-makers in the context of the Pan-African Initiative for the Digital Transformation (TVET) and Development Skills systems in Africa. This first cohort will be trained in the development/updating and implementation of policy and strategy for the digital transformation of TVET and the skills development system.

The objective of this initiative is to create an ecosystem that will accelerate the digital transformation of TVET and skills development systems in Africa. It also aims to contribute to the achievement of the AU Agenda 2063: “A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development”.

“For more than a year, UNESCO and its partners have been engaged in a process of reflection aimed at increasing support for African countries to have an ecosystem necessary for the digital transformation of TVET and Skills Development Systems.  We aim to foster and accelerate the digital transformation of the TVET system and to develop skills in these countries from a holistic and long-term perspective. UNESCO will take the necessary steps to continue to assume and effectively ensure the success of this initiative,” said Dimitri Sanga, Director of UNESCO’s Regional Office for West Africa (Sahel).

The initiative has set as a major objective the achievement of ten targets, through the implementation of a joint program structured in three components, the first of which is relative to the implementation of a series of pan-African  training courses. These ten targets include the training of one (1) million young people outside school and in the informal sector by 2030, the establishment of a roster of nearly 1,000 experts/master trainers able to meet the technical support needs of African countries in the field.

TVET managers trained through this pan-African initiative will be tasked with advocating for the digital transformation of TVET and strengthening the use of ICT and digital in the TVET sector. They should also be able to coordinate policy and strategy work to integrate ICT and digital education and learning in the TVET sector at national and regional level.

This Pan-African initiative is an integral part of the work plan of the African Union’s institutionalized TVET Working Group with UNESCO as co-lead. UNESCO  works in synergy in this program with the African Union, the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Union Development Agency of the New Partnership for Development in Africa (AUDA-NEPAD) and  Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), through its Institute for Education and Training (IFEF).