The IIEP has increased the number of participants in the second intake of its Technical and Vocational Education and Training Management (TVET) course.

The second intake of PGEFTP was launched online on Monday 27th September 2021. The course continues to attract high-level industry specialists and sector personnel from various African countries.

The second session has 52 participants, 45 from six African countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Senegal, Tunisia and the Union of Comoros.

The conference’s goal is to share the experiences of TVET actors across Africa, to collect ideas, reflections and practical proposals for a better implementation of digital technology in national skills development systems. The specific themes of the conference will be released in October.

The issues and challenges of TVET digitalization in Africa

Around the world, the sudden break out of the COVID-19 pandemic forced TVET stakeholders to reorganize at extremely short notice. Priority was first given to health issues, learning continuity and maintaining a connection between learners, training centres and companies. Digital technologies have been a key lever for short-term responses, however some underlying challenges, including the lack of equipment and internet connection access in Africa and the practice-oriented nature of TVET, limit the scope for distance learning.

To help access to employment, IIEP-UNESCO Dakar has been working with the Mauritanian government to support vocational training policies, including the formation of a public-private partnership geared towards expanding youth employment and social inclusion.

As part of this public-private partnership, companies in three top economic sectors – mixed farming, construction and public works, and fishing – have identified a list of ‘priority jobs’ for three regions in the country.