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“Challenges for Technical and Vocational Skills Development (TVSD) in Africa

“Challenges for Technical and Vocational Skills Development (TVSD) in Africa. 28 janvier 2009. Richard Walther, AFD. Where I am speaking from. As an expert for AFD I have written various studies on Financing vocational training: a Europe/African comparison (2005)

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“Challenges for Technical and Vocational Skills Development (TVSD) in Africa

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  1. “Challenges for Technical and Vocational Skills Development (TVSD) in Africa 28 janvier 2009 Richard Walther, AFD R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  2. Where I am speaking from As an expert for AFD I have written various studies on • Financing vocational training: a Europe/African comparison (2005) • Vocational training in the informal sector: field surveys in seven African countries (Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa) and an synthesis report (2007) • Towards a renewal of apprenticeship in West Africa (2008) • Post-primary training pathways in Cameroon, Mali and Morocco (to be published in 2009) R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  3. Where I am speaking from As an expert for ADEA, I was member of the Biennale team: • tutoring five case studies in Congo, Mali and Senegal • analysing the TVSD studies and writing the Biennale theme 2 report on « employment of youth and the world of work:which skills need to be developed?» • participating in the final Maputo report to be published at the beginning of 2009 R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  4. The summary of the presentation • The international context of TVSD • The African context of TVSD • the predominant position of the informal sector • the marginal role of formal TVET • A TVSD adapted to the present social and economic challenges • Towards a new paradigm of TVSD R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  5. The international conceptual context of TVSD TVET versus TVSD • TVET defined as a mix of general education, technologies and science and practical skills and knowledge (UNESCO and ILO) • TVSD : knowledge and skills acquired in formal, non formal or informal settings (NORRAG+ADEA+OECD) • A complicated relationship between TE and VT R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  6. The international political context of TVSD The decline of TVSD between the 1980s and the 2000s • TVET: a priority in the 60s and early 70s or how to ease the problem of unemployment • In the 80s, structural adjustment + rate of return studies strongly undermined external support for post-primary SD • UPE as an international development target in 1996 and MDGs in 2000 • TVSD was excluded from both targets R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  7. The international political context of TVSD Why TVSD has been gaining momentum since the mid 2000s ? • The evidence of TVSD’s key, transformative role in East Asia • The continuing importance of TVSD in the OECD countries • The expanded African primary education pressure on SD • The development of national TVSD strategies in the various African countries to fight poverty and youth unemployment R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  8. The international political context of TVSD Why TVSD is back on the international agenda • 2001: UNESCO/ILO revised Recommendation concerning TVET • 2004 : AU Extraordinary Summit on employment and poverty alleviation in Africa • 2004/7: World Bank report on skills development in Sub-Saharan Africa and WDR on “Development and the next generation” • 2007: Meeting of the Bureau of the Conference of Ministers of Education of the African Union: revitalizing TVET • 2008: ADEA Biennale in Maputo on post-primary education and training R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  9. The African context of TVSD The global challenges to be faced • To define the SD according to the real socio-economic context • To be aware of the “forgotten majority” excluded from the education and training systems • To consider the minor role of SD in the national school systems R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  10. The African context of TVSD The predominant position of the informal sector in Africa There is a tendency to define skills development according to a formal economy and labour market, when all the statistics show that informal employment and activities are increasing in number throughout the African continent. R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  11. The African context of TVSD The predominant position of the informal sector • between 31% (South Africa) and an average of 90% (West Africa) of the labour market • between 30% (South Africa) and 50-60% (Benin, Cameroon and Senegal) of GDP • compared to between 47% and 84% informal workers in Latin America and 90% in India R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  12. The African context of TVSD So what is the informal sector/economy? • The statistical approach to the concept : « an informal enterprise is any production or service unit that does not keep full sets of accounts. » • The social and political approach (decent work, fiscal status…) • The economic approach: the economy of self employed people, of micro and small enterprises fighting for a decent future R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  13. The African context of TVSDThe informal sector: a big job provider R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  14. The African context of TVSDThe informal sector: a big provider of low qualified jobs Urban Rural Cameroon Level of education Men Women Men Women Out of school 0,2 3,6 2,3 0,3 0,5 7 3,1 Primary level 2 8,6 1,5 1,3 4,4 7,3 9,8 17,2 Lower secundary level 9,8 3,2 22 4,6 10,7 Higher secundary level 8,5 11,9 12,4 5,6 1,8 TVETfirst level 12,2 19,5 1,3 0,8 11,8 TVET second level Tertiary level 13,4 9,3 19,4 11,5 40,4 NSI Cameroon, EESI, 2005, Phase 1 R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  15. The African context of TVSD The strategic role of SD in stimulating informal sector development • SD has to be redefined according to the real needs of the existing world of work • Education and skills are central to increasing productivity and income of the informal sector (Afristat survey) • If they are able to help young people to find work or create their own activity • If they train adults at the same time as young people R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  16. The African context of TVSD A too high number of drop outs • In spite of an increase of 36% in school enrolment in Sub-Sahara Africa, only 65% of pupils are achieving EFA • At the same time statistical data show that on average 50% of the young people aged 12-13 are out of the school system (in 11 countries only this % is below 30%) • There are no formal means or very few means to qualify this “forgotten majority” R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  17. The African context of TVSD The minor role of formal TVET • Only an average of 2-5% of young people at the secondary level are enrolled in TVET in most African countries • Depending on the countries, between 60 and 80% of young people are trained through traditional apprenticeship (WB/OECD) • 60% of young people coming out of the lower secondary cycle are still trained through traditional apprenticeship (WB/OECD) R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  18. The African context of TVSD The major role of the informal sector in providing SD Formal initial training (about 5%) Formal continuing training (very low) Informal or non-formal training (95%) On-the-job training Self-training Traditional apprenticeship R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  19. The African context of TVSD The negative image of TVET • In most of the countries TVET is seen as a second chance educational pathway • TVET is globally under-financed, under-equipped and out of date • There is often no link between training centres and the professional and economic actors • Most teachers and trainers are not retrained according to the real needs of the world of work R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  20. The African context of TVSD An urgent need to reform TVET • To fight the social bomb of exclusion: young Africans represent 36,9% of the active population and 59,5% of the unemployed • To avoid the loss of inclusion time and remedial training costs: 60% of surveyed young Africans with high level diplomas acquired their skills through apprenticeship or on-the-job training • To delay the migration of youth from the rural to the urban area: 65% of rural activities/jobs are occupied by young people R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  21. Towards a challenging TVDS Defining TVSD as a mainstream pathway of the national education system and policy • Increasing substantially the part of TVSD within the global system (50% of the young population in 2012 in Cameroon and Mali, multiplication of trainees by 4 and by 6 between 2005 and 2015 in South Africa and Ethiopia) • Creating SD pathways leading to a different level of qualifications (the case of Morocco) • Building bridges and ladders between education and training (ADEA Biennale) • “Vocationalizing” secondary schools (Uganda and Senegal) R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  22. Towards a challenging TVDS Giving access to SD to the out-of-school population • Increasing alternative functional literacy paths for non educated people (Mali, Burkina Faso, Morocco…) • Setting up a post-basic pre-vocational training for the out of school youth aged 12-15 (Benin, Mali, Senegal…and the Maputo consensus) • Fighting against gender inequalities in the access to training and SD • Taking into account the specific needs of youth in post-conflict situations R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  23. Towards a challenging TVDS Adapting the SD to the local environment, especially to the rural area • Adapting TVDS to the local needs defined in partnership with the different public and private actors (RAC project in Congo, craft centres in Mali, local publics works in Ethiopia, NGO family rural school in Cameroon…) • Adapting TVSD to the rural opportunities: development of agriculture and related services (World Bank study 2008) • Linking closely access to the world of work, job creation and stimulation of local economy (Ivory Coast) R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  24. Towards a challenging TVDS Adapting the SD to the professional and sectoral needs • Redefining more and more the skills needs in cooperation with trade organisations (the case of the renewal of apprenticeship in West Africa) • Producing “Opportunity studies” to identify strategic professions and sectors for the future (Morocco, Tunisia…) • Giving to the trades the responsibility to develop scarce and strategic skills at sectoral level (South Africa SETAs) • An AFD study to be launched: which skills and professions do public authorities and private partners consider to be strategic in terms of employment and development R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  25. Towards a challenging TVDS Managing and piloting the system through a renewed public/private partnership • An increasing consensus: public authorities have to evolve from an exclusive role of piloting the TVET system to a role of coordinating, regulating and reinforcing the partnerships at local and national level (Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mali, Ivory Coast, South Africa…) • An outcome of the decentralisation: new forms of partnerships are emerging between local authorities, local representatives of the ministries concerned, social and economic actors and NGOs (most of the countries) • A reality in progress: new forms of partnerships with increasing responsibility to conceive, pilot and implement TVSD R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  26. Towards a challenging TVDS Increasing the investment in TVSD in a sustainable manner • Most of the countries are only investing a small part of the public expenditure in TVSD: on average between 2% and 5% • In fact, the costs of SD for the majority of African youth going into the labour market are shared between the family and the craftsmen or micro-entrepreneurs • There is a need for public authorities to: • invest substantially in efficient SD pathways (apprenticeship, alternated training…) • promote sustainable, co-financed instruments and mechanisms R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  27. Towards a challengingTVDS Creating qualification frameworks • Validating and recognising informally acquired knowledge and skills • Giving the right to “informal trainees” to access training paths and contents to which they had been denied access previously • Enabling populations excluded from the formal systems to access the same levels and types of qualifications as those accessible by means of formal education • Creating bridges and ladders between training and qualifications which were were isolated or in opposition to each other so far R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  28. Towards an new paradigm of TVSD • From a centralized and State controled system to a decentralized, regulated, coordinated and partnership-based system • From a « diploma oriented system» to a system having as its target the professional inclusion of youth • From a formal TVET system to a TVSD system integrating the diversity of the formal, non formal and informal pathways R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  29. Towards an new paradigm of TVSD • From a school-based training to SD pathways based on apprenticeship and alternance • From a knowledge-based national certification framework to a framework recognising and validating all types of skills and work experiences • From a system based on exclusion to a system based on equity of access and outcomes R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  30. Towards an new paradigm of TVSD Partner-driven Public-private partnership National qualifications framework • Integrated skills development system • TVET/Diversity of initial and continuing training paths • /Equality of access and outcomes • In response to development needs • local • sector-wide • rural • global • In response to need for equity • Low educated people • Girls/woman • Rural population • Post-conflict population R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  31. Conclusions: the role of NGOs They qualify out-of-school or poorly educated people • For example, “Family rural schools” in Cameroon and Ivory Coast • The social and professional role of well known Moroccan NGOs • The “National association of street children” in Cameroon R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  32. Conclusions: the role of NGOs They conceive and implement new education training routes For example, the socialand community project of the Dom Bosco Salesian Mission in Luanda • 25 education and training centres have been build in the very poor district of Sambizanga • The youngsters are educated in primary schools • After having achieved primary education they have the possibility to undertake two-year-training courses • The NGO takes care of helping trainees find work or continue their education/training R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  33. Conclusions: the role of NGOs They assist young people and adults in creating their own activity • A number of NGOs are involved in South Africa (Kindernothilfe, Train, Empower, Nuture and Develop…), encouraging young peopleto develop entrepreneurial activities • Agrisud has trained adults and young people around Luanda to become horticulturist • Handicap International is helping handicaped people to be trained as craftsmen • … R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

  34. Conclusions: the role of NGOs • NGOs have a vital role in providing equity of access to skills development for least educated young people and adults • The NGOs strong points (WB): • they develop trainee-based and market-based qualification pathways • they are combining different services for helping young people to enter the world of work (training, micro-credit, tutorship…) • The NGOs weak points (WB): • the weaknesses of the financial means • the absence of a long term investment guarantee R. Walther 24/25 February 2009 Copenhagen

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