CONTINENTAL VIRTUAL CONFERENCE: SKILLS ANTICIPATION AND MATCHING / AFRICA

The skills development landscape in most African Countries typically consists of public and private providers and is often highly fragmented and poorly coordinated. Skills development programmes, however, normally lack demand-orientation and quality and neither meet labour market demand for skills nor social demand for accessible skills development that can lead to better employability. The lack of skills development outcomes relevant for the labour market and related competency standards means that comparability and quality assurance of programmes and certificates is often not possible. This has a negative impact on the reputation of skills development, and hinders articulation in the education and training system as well as labour mobility. As a result, a shortage of skilled workers and at the same time high unemployment, even among graduates from skills development programmes is a very common phenomenon in most African countries. This presents a serious challenge for African decision makers and is a call for action that is more determined and for partnerships towards more informed skills development approaches and more quality jobs for young African.

The Objective of the Conference is to raise awareness about the strategic role that skills anticipation and matching can play in guiding labour market actors to systematically identify and address future skills needs in order to avoid potential gaps between skills demand and supply.

The Conference is hosted within the framework and objectives of the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA) a programme of the African Union Commission (AUC), implemented by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). The SIFA programme is supported by the German Development Cooperation and European Union.

The hosting organizations include the ILO, supported by GIZ.