Skills for work and life

The 2024 Bridging Event for Africa took place within the framework of the African Union Year of Education 2024. It was integrated in the African Union’s Africa Skills Week, hosted by the Republic of Ghana, with a focus on the theme ‘Skills and Jobs for the 21st Century: Quality Skills Development for Sustainable Employability in Africa’.

The BILT Bridging Event promoted the concept of a global TVET agenda, a call for action and commitment to common priorities and jointly shaping the future of TVET. The process for this agenda was initiated in 2023 by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of its Excellence Initiative. The Africa Skills Week served as a forum for discussing common denominators for global TVET policy cooperation, and for peer-learning and sharing of innovative approaches in line with the UNESCO Strategy for TVET 2022-2029.

Representatives of the African Union, ETF, ILO, OECD, UNESCO, Germany and Ghana supported the approach. Additional input was gathered from the audience via comments and polls. Thematic sessions collected successful practices from TVET stakeholders from Africa and beyond.

Some of the top priorities identified for a global TVET agenda included: strengthening coordination among international and multilateral organizations in TVET, closer policy alignment (at national, regional, and global level), more research and data on TVET, and the training of teachers and trainers. The relevance of inclusiveness and gender equality in TVET was highlighted repeatedly, as well as the urgency to respond to the dual transition of greening and digitalization. Further recurring themes were achieving excellence in TVET and making it an attractive choice, private sector engagement and consideration for the informal sector, work-based learning and entrepreneurial learning.

Participants and speakers agreed that a platform for regular regional and international exchange on TVET is desirable and beneficial and that existing fora and platforms should be strengthened and expanded.

A regional meeting of the 2024 BILT Expert Group on TVET for the building and construction industry was organized. Participants from Africa Skills Week joined the Expert Group members to discuss best practices for integrating recognition of prior learning and migrant skills recognition into TVET for the sector.

As part of a study tour, the BILT Bridging Event participants and other conference invitees visited technical institutions at the forefront of TVET in Ghana, demonstrating innovative approaches to skills training, industry collaboration, and technology integration.