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

“Challenges for Technical and Vocational Skills Development (TVSD) in Africa. Richard Walther, AFD. Where I am speaking from. As an expert for AFD I have written various studies on Financing vocational training: an 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 Richard Walther, AFD R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  2. Where I am speaking from As an expert for AFD I have written various studies on • Financing vocational training: an 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 a synthesis report (2007) • Towards a renewal of apprenticeship in West Africa (2008) • Post-primary training pathways in Cameroon, Mali and Morocco (2009) • The training costs ( in partnership with Pôle de Dakar/UNESCO, 2009/2010) I am also working for ADEA (expert on TVSD for the Maputo Biennale and for the preparation of the 2011Triennale R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  3. The summary of the presentation • The international context of TVSD • The African context of TVSD • A TVSD adapted to the present social and economic challenges • Towards a new paradigm of TVSD • The role of the NGOs R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  4. 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  5. 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 directly excluded from both targets R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  6. The international political context of TVSD 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 against poverty and youth unemployment R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  7. The international political context of TVSD 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  8. 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 • To redefine SD as a performant and sustainable means to insert young people in the LM R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  9. The African context of TVSD The predominant role of the informal sector or economy • The IS is the biggest provider of jobs (average of 90% of employment in Subsaharan Africa, 50% in North Africa compared to 90% in India, between 47% and 84% in Latin America …) • The IS is a major contributor to the GDP (between 50% and 60% in SSA) • But TVSD is only defined according to a formal economy and labour market R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  10. The African context of TVSD A too high number of school 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 at least 50% of the young people aged 12-13 are out of the school system • Only 30% of each age cohort completes junior secondary school, the entry level of TVET • There are no formal means or very few means to qualify the “forgotten majority” R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  11. 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  12. The African context of TVSD The negative image of formal 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  13. The African context of TVSD The informal sector is the major provider of 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  14. The African context of TVSD The present TVET scheme School based training R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  15. 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 insertion 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  16. Towards a challenging TVDS Defining TVSD as a mainstream pathway of the national education system and policy • More and more countries are increasing 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) • This change of policy requests to increasing substantially the financial means dedicated to TVSD (an average of 5% of the public expenditures on education) • This new TVSD strategy means changing the whole logic of the existing TVET system R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  17. Towards a challenging TVDS Defining TVSD as giving access to the out-of-school population in • increasing alternative functional literacy paths for non educated people (Mali, Burkina Faso, Morocco…) • setting up a post-primary training pathways 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 (most of the countries) • taking into account the specific needs of youth in post-conflict situations (Angola, Ivory Coast, Liberia…) R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  18. Towards a challenging TVSD Defining TVSD as a means to stimulate the informal sector • SD has to be redefined according to the real needs of the self-employment, small and micro entreprises • Education and skills are able • to increase productivity and income of the informal sector (Afristat survey) • to rise above survival and subsistence and achieve growth and development (AFD study on Training in the informal sector) R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  19. Towards a challengingTVSD Defining TVSD as a means to restructure the formal TVET model • Updating the formal training pathways which are mostly obsolete • Changing the logic of accessing diploma into a logic of acquiring skills needed to enter the world of work • Transforming the TVET reforms in a permanent innovative and improvement process R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  20. Diploma pathway • Skills development pathway Condition of access Real profile for a job Curriculum definition Level of diploma Level of entry in the LM Skills profile definition No real profile for a job Forseen job/profession World of work/Labour market/Economic and social demand Difficult entry in a world of workproposing more informalactivitiesthanreallydefined jobs Betterprobabilty of accessing jobs and professions existingat local level or in certain sectors of activitiesrequiringprepared profiles and qualifications Towards a new logic of TVSD Cost of training ITCILO, December 2009

  21. 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  22. 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 ongoing AFD study : which skills and professions do public authorities and private partners consider to be strategic in terms of employment and development R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  23. 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  24. 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  25. 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 isolated or in opposition to each other so far R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  26. 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  27. 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  28. 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  29. Towards an efficient/sustainable system Cost of training ITCILO, December 2009

  30. 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  31. 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  32. 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, Bu-net, January 2010

  33. 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 (principle of equity) • NGOs have an essential role in helping local actors and practitioners to invest successfully in SD of youth and adults (principle of proximity) • NGOs have an unique role in developing alternative and innovative SD pathways (principle of innovation) R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

  34. Conclusions: the role of NGOs • 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 • The NGOs challenges: how to pass from the phase of experimenting SD new pathways in the phase of generalizing successful projects and practices R. Walther, Bu-net, January 2010

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