Africa Skills Week must not be one of talkshops

Last week, educationists, policymakers and members of civil society in the education space in Africa converged on Accra to brainstorm the importance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the African development agenda.

Dubbed “Africa Skills Week” (ASW), on the theme: “Skills and Jobs for the 21st Century: Quality Skills Development for Sustainable Employability in Africa," the five-day event afforded participants the opportunity to share countries’ best practices in the execution of TVET to accelerate skills development and job acquisition.

The conference served as the impetus for the improvement of systems, processes and policies to drive transformation of skills development across the continent.

At the end of the deliberations, it was clear that TVET is the pathway to economic growth and social equity and is no longer the fallback option as it was considered to be in the past.

A number of participants, in their countries’ presentations, outlined various interventions rolled out by their respective governments to demystify the perception that the TVET programme was a last resort and that it was for students who were not academically sound.

In discounting such perceptions, the onus is on governments and policymakers to make TVET attractive by investing heavily in it through the provision of the needed tools and equipment.

The Daily Graphic hopes that the conference would not be remembered as a mere talkshop where all the fine ideas and plans were espoused without much results.

That is why we agree with Ghana’s Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, when he pointed out to participants that the policies should not be just mere words on paper, but become transformative by impacting positively on every young African seeking a brighter future.

This call is crucial because the African youth cannot wait, so every action should be directed at ensuring that we can collectively address the skills gap in Africa and create a more prosperous and inclusive future for the continent.

And to make this happen,  African governments must consider TVET as a central pillar of Africa's development strategy.

TVET is a major pathway to opportunity; however, truth is, TVET education is not cheap because of its practical-based learning, where learners are required to use certain equipment and tools to maximise their learning potential.

To ensure sustainable financing, African governments need to explore and prioritise innovative financing models and mechanisms, such as impact bonds, skills development funds and blended finance, to de-risk investments and attract both domestic and foreign capital for skills development.

The call for African countries to establish mechanisms to undertake research in TVET, monitor and evaluate the implementation of skills development initiatives, ensuring innovation, accountability and sustainability is apt and timely.

The interest in TVET so far generated on the continent must be sustained in view of the fact that Africa’s youthful demographics and workforce are projected to double by 2050. In so doing, policymakers and the leaders can collectively address the skills gap in Africa and create a more prosperous and inclusive future for the continent.

For any government to successfully implement and focus on TVET, it requires a strong political will and commitment.

The Daily Graphic acknowledges the strides Ghana government has made in its Free TVET policy and the adoption of the Competency-Based Training policy that ensures that no one is left behind in the skills development of young Ghanaians.

We believe that the inclusion of TVET in the government’s flagship free senior high school programme is not only commendable, but an opportunity to attract more youth into the technical education sector.

The refurbishment, retooling and rehabilitation of technical and vocational schools across the country, as well as the conversion of all the polytechnics in the country into technical universities to give learners in that area a progressive path to the highest level of education, are worth mentioning.

The Daily Graphic sees the selection of Ghana as the host of the conference as an endorsement of what the country has been doing in the area of TVET education and urges the government not to rest on its oars but to see the opportunity as a sign to do more.