Africa Skills Week 2025 in Addis Ababa: Resolutions and Initiatives to Train 10 Million Young People in Digital, Green and Industrial Skills

Africa Skills Week (ASW) 2025, held from 13 to 17 October in Addis Ababa, brought together policymakers, industry leaders, educators, young people and development partners to define concrete actions for skills development on the continent. Held under the theme "Powering Africa's Industrial Future: Skills for Innovation, Growth and Sustainability", this edition produced several strategic resolutions.

Key resolutions of ASW 2025

1. Launch of the TVET Strategy 2025–2034

The African Union Commission officially launched the Continental Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) 2025–2034. This roadmap aims to align education systems with industrial needs, promote digital and green skills, and include young people, women, refugees and displaced persons in training and employment pathways.

2. Strengthening public-private partnerships

Discussions stressed the need to strengthen partnerships between TVET systems and the productive sector, in particular SMEs, to improve the relevance and innovation of training. Mechanisms such as co-creation of programmes, regional centres of excellence and mutual recognition of skills were identified as essential for building a dynamic and integrated skills ecosystem in Africa.

3. Integration of digital and green skills

Participants agreed on the importance of integrating digital and ecological skills into TVET systems to prepare young people for industrial and environmental transitions. This includes promoting entrepreneurship, creating incubation hubs and the digital transformation of industrial value chains.

4. Inclusion of refugees and displaced persons

In line with the TVET Strategy 2025–2034, ASW 2025 addressed the inclusion of refugees and other displaced persons in the skills systems supporting industrial growth, innovation and sustainability. Ethiopia, as host country, took concrete steps in this area by committing to provide formal vocational training opportunities to 20,000 refugees and members of the host community.

5. Ethiopia's commitment to future-ready skills

Ethiopia's Minister of Labour and Skills, Muferihat Kamil, underlined the importance of equipping African youth with the skills needed to drive economic transformation. She highlighted initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, green and digital skills, and industry-linked training, with an emphasis on internationally recognised quality standards.

Outlook

ASW 2025 marked a turning point in the approach to skills development in Africa, focusing on concrete action and multi-sector collaboration. Implementing the TVET Strategy 2025–2034 will be crucial to turning commitments into tangible results, particularly in job creation, innovation and industrial competitiveness. Next steps include following up on commitments, strengthening partnerships and continually adapting education systems to labour market needs.