Ghana will play host to the maiden edition of the Africa Skills Week scheduled between October 14 and 18 this year.
Organised under the auspices of the African Union Commission on Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, the week will bring together all skills training institutions and agencies to discuss the way forward for the continent in terms of equipping its workforce with the needed skills to function effectively in the 21st century.
The one week event is on the theme: “Skills and Jobs for the 21st Century: Quality Skills Development for Sustainable Employability in Africa,” and aligns with the African Union’s 2024 theme: “Year of Transforming Education 2024”.
Briefing the media in Accra over the weekend, the Director General of the Commission for Technical, Vocational and Educational Training (CTVET), Dr Fred Kyei, said the country’s hosting of such international event was not just a privilege but a clear testament to its growing leadership in the field of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) across the continent.
He explained that the Africa Skills Week would provide a platform for TVET institutions to connect and collaborate with industries as well as help in aligning skills training to market needs and ensure that graduates were better informed for job roles and opportunities.
Dr Kyei said it would serve as a platform where employers, skilled professionals, and job seekers would meet to create direct recruitment opportunities for the youth especially during the “Youth Pavilion” which was scheduled to be part of the programme agenda.
Furthermore, he said the event would bring together stakeholders from both the supply and demand sides of the labour market to discuss challenges and opportunities in enhancing youth skills and employability across the continent, while acknowledging the importance of prioritising transformative actions in education as part of the broader goal of empowering Africa’s youthful population.
“All these stakeholders will unite by a shared goal: to harness the power of skills development for economic transformation and job creation. As we come together in this space, let us remember that what we are doing is more than just discussing skills — we are shaping the future of our continent,” he emphasised.
Dr Kyei said the African Skills Week would also push for policies that promote TVET, skill development and job creation, and also encourage governments and organisations to invest in skill-building initiatives leading to Policy Advocacy.
“It is in that regard that the African Union Commission, Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, and its partners are organising the Africa Skills Week aligning with the theme of the Year of Transforming Education 2024,” he stressed.
The Director General said the Africa Skills Week sought to address the pressing need to equip Africa’s youth with relevant skills to thrive in an ever-changing economy.
He said Ghana’s hosting of this prestigious event underscored the government’s commitment to TVET as a critical driver for national development and also reaffirmed the confidence of the African Union and its partners in Ghana’s TVET ecosystem.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
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