March 1, 2025 (Nairobi, Kenya): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) conducted a Regional Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Workshop on Skills Development to understand the availability of skills and the mismatch between the available skills and the needs of job market with a focus on refugees, migrants, and returnees, in the Pilot Countries: Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan.
Speaking on behalf of H.E Dr Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary of IGAD, to the IGAD Regional TVET Workshop, Mr.Mubarak Mabuya, Chief of Staff of IGAD Executive Secretary and Interim Director for Health and Social Development urged all stakeholders — governments, private sector, educational institutions, and international partners to join forces in strengthening and broadening our TVET frameworks.
Mr. Mubarak emphasized that TVET is not just an educational pathway; it is a pivotal engine for economic growth and development, skillfully bridging the gap between education and the dynamic needs of the labor market.
In addition, he described the IGAD region, where the challenge of youth unemployment looms large, TVET stands as a vital tool to empower our young people with the skills essential for thriving in sectors critical to our economies, such as agriculture, ICT, energy, and manufacturing. “Our commitment at IGAD is demonstrated through the development of a regional TVET strategy, informed by comprehensive skills assessment conducted in major cities including Nairobi, Mogadishu, and Juba. This strategic approach underscores our dedication to refining and elevating the TVET landscape,” He stressed.
Mary Njugi, Director, Field Services and Cross Cutting Issues, State Department for TVET, Ministry of Education, Republic of Kenya, as hosting country, participants of the workshop explored innovative practices, shared success stories, and addressed the challenges that they face in their respective contexts.
Moreover, she explained that the diversity of perspectives represented at the workshop has enriched their discussions and inspired them all to think critically about the future of TVET. “Let us take the insights gained and the connections made during this workshop back to our countries, ensuring that we implement what we have learned to empower the refugees, returnees, migrants, host communities and all stakeholders and bridge the skills gap between the academia and the demand in the industries,” the Director noted.
Jennie Taylor, Senior Education Officer, UNHCR Regional Bureau for East and Horn of Africa and Great Lakes, on her part welcomes IGAD’s commitment to promoting learning-to-earning pathways, reaffirmed during the Regional Workshop on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Skills Development.
She highlighted that the important initiative builds on the IGAD Policy Framework on Refugee Protection and the African Union TVET Strategy, bridging the gap between the commitments made in the Djibouti and Kampala Declarations. “UNHCR looks forward to the upcoming Regional Strategy on TVET and is committed to working with all stakeholders on its implementation, and to ensure full and sustainable inclusion and self-reliance for all forcibly displaced people and their host communities. Emphasizing green jobs will be crucial for equipping both refugees and host communities to meet future labor market demands,” the officer stated.
Dr Kebede Kassa Tsegaye, Senior Coordinator of Education, Science Technology and Innovation stressed that the Regional Workshop on TVET with the active participation of relevant experts and officials of the pilot countries reviewed and substantiated the results of the study and has brought forth more input from the workshop. He has assured the participants that their inputs to the regional skills assessment will be forwarded to the consultants for incorporation in the final report. He also reiterated that the recommendations of the workshop will be important contributions to the forthcoming updated regional TVET Strategy.
Representative of GIZ, Mr Patrick, also gave his remarks. The workshop was financed by the Federal Republic of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through GIZ. IGAD is appreciative of the continued support of the Government of Germany I general and that of GIZ in particular.
The Workshop brought together TVET experts, Officials, TVET Colleges/Centers/Agencies, policy/decision makers, and partner agencies, particularly GIZ, and IGAD officials.
Subsequently, participants of the clustered workshop critically evaluated the Skills Assessment in the three countries and compiled the lessons learned from the study in the three countries and the way forward.
In 2018, IGAD adopted the Regional Strategy for TVET to implement the Djibouti Declaration.
