INSIGHTS & IDEAS

Youth Employment and Skills Chapters Showcase their PACT Progress

May 4, 2023
On 26th April 2023, we hosted the YESPACT regional showcase, a virtual event that celebrated the achievements of our members in influencing policy on youth employment and skills. The showcase also marked the successful completion of the YES PACT project’s pilot phase.

The event featured presentations from each YES PACT Chapter, organized around anchor institutions (AIs) including policy research and advocacy institutes. The chapters have attracted many members, including policymakers, civil society organizations, and private sector associations. As part of the Pan-African Coalition for Transformation (PACT), a platform that helps African countries design and implement policies that support economic transformation, the chapters use the ACET Policy Engagement Model to catalyze transformation, share knowledge, and advocate for change. They are partnering with ministries of education, gender, children, and social protection, as well as employment and labor relations, across Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Uganda, Niger, Ethiopia, and Rwanda.

The presentations showcased the AI progress and achievements in influencing youth employment and skills policies. Each AI has selected a priority based on the in-country needs and used the ACET Policy Engagement Model to engage with relevant stakeholders and produce knowledge products.

Anchor institution highlights:

Ghana

Eric Saforo, head of the Ghana Chapter, discussed their priority of improving guidance and counseling in basic schools and TVET institutions. He shared how they successfully engaged with the Ministry of Education, Ghana TVET Service, and other partners to review the policy agenda and provide technical assistance. He also shared how they organized a knowledge cafe to exchange ideas and best practices on improving guidance and counseling. He highlighted the knowledge products they created, including a fact sheet, newsletter, and policy brief, which aimed to inform and influence policy decisions. He noted that the policy formulation process was faster than usual, thanks to the YES PACT model.

Cote d’Ivoire

Hermann Akpe, head of the Cote d’Ivoire Chapter, explained their priority of TVET Education Reform through partnerships with TVET institutions and the private sector. He shared how they had training, a knowledge cafe, and strengthened partnerships between schools and businesses to address this challenge. He also shared the key partners of the chapter, which include several ministries and local organizations working together to improve education quality and relevance.

Uganda

Madina Guloba, head of  the Uganda Chapter focused on teacher training and retraining to improve competence-based lower secondary curriculum. She presented their progress and achievements in influencing policy for this priority. They learned from the PACT policy training that a singular focus is necessary for effective policy change. Based on this, they created a policy brief on their priority and held consultative meetings with various stakeholders. They also had a successful launch of their chapter by the Ministry of Labour, which generated a lot of media impact. However, they also faced some challenges, such as shifts in policy actors, conflicting timelines, and budgetary constraints.

Ethiopia

Amare Kassa, head of the Ethiopia Chapter, presented the Chapter’s priority of improving the quality of secondary and TVET education. They held a panel discussion to explore insights and values for policymakers and found parameters for quality in education. Their achievements included creating awareness among actors and stakeholders, identifying the main challenges and quality gaps, and creating networking opportunities for policymakers and education professionals. They introduced the concept of the fourth industrial revolution to policymakers, who showed great interest. However, they also faced some challenges, such as difficult access to some policymakers, the lack of issues not covered in the research, such as public-private partnerships, and limited budgets. Their next steps include focusing on guidance and counseling, linking industry closer to colleges, and looking at the impact of 4IR on the education system.

Niger

Oudou Halidou Mahamadou, head of the Niger Chapter, presented their progress. The Niger Chapter’s priority is to bridge the gap between the supply and demand of skills in Niger. They consulted with partners on this issue and held a knowledge cafe on enhancing Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to promote good quality innovation and youth employability. They also established communication elements to engage the media and engaged stakeholders at the national level. They had a good collaboration with all relevant stakeholders. However, they also encountered some difficulties, such as poor internet connection and budget constraints. Their next steps include implementing a permanent and inclusive dialogue between the team and stakeholders to enable them to continue with meetings with stakeholders and authorities.

Rwanda

Evariste Gahima, head of the Rwanda Chapter, presented their progress. His Chapter prioritizes a successful transition from a knowledge-based curriculum to a competency-based curriculum. He shared how they identified the root causes of the challenges in education, including weak infrastructure, limited experience of educators with 4IR technologies, and poor exposure to devices among learners. He also shared their achievements, which included the dissemination of research findings, engagements with policymakers, and suggestions for policy implementation. He highlighted the local champions of the chapter, such as the Minister of ICT and the Vice Chancellor of a polytechnic.

Watch a showcase video of YES-PACT’s achievements below

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