The Head, Education Division, African Union Commission, Ms Sophia Ashipala, has urged African leaders to fashion out measures that address the challenge of skills mismatch on the continent. According to her, there was an increasing gap between the skills provided by the education system and those required by industry and this must be addressed if the issue of unemployment was to be addressed on the continent. “The growing gap between the skills provided by the global Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) agenda must address this mismatch through constant dialogue between education providers as well as local governments,” she emphasised.
Ms Ashipala made the call at the opening of the third day of the maiden edition of the Africa Skills Week (ASW) currently underway in Accra. Speaking on the theme for the day “Rethinking TVET and skill development: Effective models for implementation in Africa”, she said stronger partnerships between governments, educational institutions and industries was essential for curriculum relevance and practical change. “The private sector must be engaged, not just as a beneficiary, but as a co-creator of programmes, ensuring that the skills taught are the skills that are needed,” she said.
Ms Ashipala noted that for TVET to truly be a force for change, the negative perception that served as a barrier would have to change, adding that “We need to change the perception, because too often, and this has also been allude.
