From 12 to 15 August 2025, 177 students from higher technical education institutions in Ethiopia, Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda took part in a microlearning programme organized by UNESCO-UNEVOC under the UNESCO CFIT Project Phase III. The opening session saw Nicholas Ouma, Senior Youth Advisor from the African Union Commission, underscoring the importance of dialogue on circular economy and green skills to tackle challenges associated with skills mismatch, limited access to training infrastructure and the continent’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change. This served as a call to action for participants, as he highlighted the need for youth-led innovations as a key driver of change.

The programme sought to empower students attending higher technical education institutions with the knowledge and the skills necessary for Africa’s just and green transition, with a focus on green and circular economy foundations, emerging labour market trends inclusive of required skills and circular business models. Participants explored these areas through interactive presentations, group activities, testimonials and a panel discussion. In addition, the integration of African case studies provided participants with the opportunity to develop key underpinnings of the circular economy and green transition within their specific contexts.

Utilizing a dual approach, participants attended live webinars and accessed an online course via the UNESCO Open Learning platform. The microlearning programme complemented a recently concluded Training of trainers programme on Green skills development in higher technical education. All of the training courses were held in English and French.

Participants will go on to apply the skills and knowledge gained for local action by developing and implementing a project as part of a green skills competition. The green skills competition aims to provide participants with a direct opportunity to apply knowledge of green skills while promoting sustainability principles to drive green innovation within their respective interdisciplinary sectors.

The programme evaluation showed positive results: gender parity was nearly achieved, with 53% men and 46% women, and over 90% of participants found the topics covered in the microlearning modules relevant to their needs.

Testimonials

We asked participants: How has participation in this programme prepared you to contribute in Africa's green transition? These are some of the answers:

• "Africa has potential which requires unearthing. This training has enabled us to look at Africa problems as opportunities."
• "This training raised my awareness and informed me about the importance of Africa's ecological transition. Now I know more about green skills, which are key to being an agent and driver of change in the future and opening ourselves up to green jobs is a real reason for change."
• "Thanks to the programme, I was able to identify the key areas in which Africa must invest in order to achieve a fair and sustainable ecological transition. I discovered the technical and cross-functional skills to be developed in each sector, strengthened my mastery of systems thinking to analyse environmental issues, and integrated the qualities essential for doing business in an ecological and responsible manner."