The African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) is hosting a policy learning forum as part of the Youth, Employment and Skills (YES) Program, which is supported by the Mastercard Foundation. The program aims to examine how current education and training systems are adjusting to meet the evolving labor demand, the evolving digital technologies and the changing nature of work.
This learning forum will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss pertinent issues affecting youth employment in Africa. These will include experts who participated in the inception meeting for the study, held in Accra, Ghana in October 2019, and whose contributions were crucial to the conduct of the study. It will also bring on board a strategic team of policy makers and partners who have supported the research process.
A study under the YES program dubbed ‘Strengthening Education Systems to Deliver a 4IR-Ready Workforce’ was carried out in six African countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Niger, Rwanda, and Uganda.
The study addressed four main questions:
- How are education and training systems responding to the changing nature of work?
- What is the nature of the mismatch between labor supply and the demand for skills, and what are the implications for employment?
- How is labor demand in industry changing in the face of digital technologies?
- What role is industry playing in ensuring that education and training systems are producing the right workforce?
The synthesis of all six country studies is the focus of this learning event. The policy learning forum will be held virtually over two half-day sessions on the 19th and 20th of May 2021. Each session will be in English and French, starting from 11am to 1.30pm (GMT).
ACET is a pan-African economic policy institute supporting Africa’s long-term growth through transformation. We produce research, offer policy advice, and connect key stakeholders so that African countries are better positioned for smart, inclusive, and sustainable development. Based in Ghana, we offer African-led solutions to some of Africa’s most critical development issues.
