• World Bank hosts Africa Skills for Jobs academy in Nairobi

• Forum targets TVET reforms, industry links, inclusive training models

• Aims to tackle youth unemployment, skills mismatch across continent

The World Bank will host the Africa Skills for Jobs Policy Academy in Nairobi, Kenya, from September 30 to October 3. The event, organized in partnership with the Kenyan government and the Inter-University Council for East Africa, will gather over 250 participants from more than 20 countries, including senior policymakers, private sector leaders, and World Bank experts.

The academy will focus on concrete ways to reform Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), which is seen as a crucial tool for closing the skills gap that restricts youth employment across the continent.

The initiative aims to align training programs with actual market demands, emphasizing practical solutions such as partnerships with industry players, sustainable financing models, and on-the-job learning. The agenda prioritizes upskilling in high-growth sectors like agribusiness, digital technology, energy, and health, and ensuring the inclusion of women and workers in the informal sector.

The forum comes as more than one million young people enter the African labor market every month, and up to 86% of available jobs are in the informal economy, according to the World Bank. The bank’s Africa’s Pulse report from October 2023 highlighted that skills mismatch severely hampers productivity and employability. In response, the World Bank strengthened its requirements for skills development and local employment in the projects it funds in July 2025.

“Africa’s youth need hands on and quality technical and vocational education to thrive in a rapidly changing labour market. TVET can be a catalyst for economic growth and social inclusion when aligned with industry demands,” said Gaspard Banyankimbona, Executive Secretary of the Inter-University Council for East Africa.

The Nairobi forum is part of a broader trend. Senegal, with World Bank support, is modernizing TVET programs in automotive, IT, and agriculture by building and equipping new higher professional education institutes and reinforcing its technical training finance fund. South Africa operates 50 accredited public TVET colleges across 364 campuses, offering practical programs tailored to labor market needs.

These examples underscore that investing in TVET remains a strategic leverage point for boosting youth employability and sustaining economic development across Africa.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou