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EU and African Union united in unleashing youth potential

In 2020, young people between the ages of 15 and 24 constituted 20% (226 million) of sub-Saharan Africa’s total population (1.13 billion). The youth population in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to rise to 293 million by 2030 and to reach 413 million by 2050. Many young people are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Their socioeconomic integration into rapidly changing societies is one of the biggest challenges on the African continent.

The ETF supports European Union cooperation with the African Union on skills development through engagement in the quality assurance and development of vocational schools and the development of an African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF). Cooperation with Africa is continuously growing and most recently we have had the pleasure to nominate two finalists from Kenya and Nigeria for the ETF Green Skills Award 2022. Be sure to cast your vote!

Quality development of vocational schools

An ETF study undertaken on behalf of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) examined data from 26 vocational schools from 14 sub-Saharan African countries to give a snapshot of good practice, and inform the development and planning of schools and education and training systems. With the dedication and participation of partners and schools, the research identifies barriers and enablers that explain the schools’ level of development. The self-assessment survey was launched with the help of organisations and projects supporting schools in the region: the EU vocational education and training (VET) Toolbox and Archipelago projects, Enabel (Belgium), GIZ (Germany), LuxDev (Luxembourg), the Agence française de développement (France) and Humana.

The final report was presented at the European Africa Business Forum in February 2022 in the lead up to the EU-Africa Business Summit in June 2022, a key event of public-private dialogue between the EU and Africa at continental level to enhance sustainable economic cooperation. The ETF report offers five recommendations for policymakers that indicate how high quality vocational education can be nurtured throughout sub-Saharan Africa:

  1. encourage and support schools to disseminate excellence;
  2. help to establish leading schools for the digitalisation of vocational education and training;
  3. help to strengthen collaboration and cooperation with industry and new businesses;
  4. help to build capacities for successful devolution of VET governance;
  5. Provide training and support to help schools become green.

The report is available on the ETF’s Open Space in English and French.

Qualifications Framework

In 2020 the ETF undertook a mapping of 13 African National Qualification Frameworks (NQFs) which is currently being followed up with further conceptual and technical development of the African Continental Qualifications Framework. The mapping is available at: African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF) mapping study reports | AUDA-NEPAD