Partners of UNESCO’s Global Skills Academy collaborate to strengthen digital skills in Africa

Two new skills development projects, launched by the Global Education Coalition and Côte d’Ivoire’s Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training (METFPA), will strengthen the digital capacities of young people and TVET Teachers in the country.

Several partners of the Global Skills Academy (GSA) will support the projects by providing participants with access to learning curriculum and resources. 

The official launch of the projects, which took place last month, was attended by Mr Koffi N’Guessan, Côte d’Ivoire’s minister in charge of TVET and Apprenticeships, and the GSA partners involved. Speaking at the event, Mr N’Guessan expressed his team’s support for the projects “to strengthen digital skills and train in digital marketing and entrepreneurship.”

During 2024, training will be delivered to support more than 300 young learners in finding employment, as well as to prepare more than 300 ministry executives and teachers for the digitalization of the country’s education system.

“Digitalization is an engine of transformation and development that allows us to adapt to the realities of the modern world,” Mr N’Guessan said. “The digitalization of our administration and the practical use of digital expertise offers many advantages for our TVET sector – [it can] improve the efficiency and quality of our educational services, offer new teaching and training methods, promote innovation and creativity, and strengthen the employability of learners. 

Technical skills in communication, ICT literacy, and business and entrepreneurship are in demand in Côte d’Ivoire. Employers reported that new graduates urgently need additional training in these areas, with 23% respectively noting that skills in ICT literacy and business and entrepreneurship could be improved.

With the backing of three IBM, Aleph and Pix, the first project, which aims to reinforce the digital marketing and entrepreneurship skills of young learners, will work with three specialized TVET centers that focus on skills to access fashion and beauty employment. IBM will support this effort through access to its IBMSkillsBuild Platform which provides an entrepreneurship learning journey of 300 hours, tailored to Côte d’Ivoire needs. Meanwhile Aleph will make accessible their Digital Ad Expert program – where users can learn about digital advertising tools, industry trends and best practices on the world’s leading digital platforms – and Pix will aid the recruitment of learners through a digital competency test on their platform, Pix.org,

Gastón Taratuta, Founder & CEO at Aleph Group, Inc said “The provision of digital literacy is a fast track to helping local communities and economies unlock huge economic opportunities … [this] agreement will ensure people can confidently navigate the digital landscape, access greater employment opportunities, and help shape sustainable growth for generations to come.”

Beugré Djoman Jules, a student at Lycée professionnel de Port-Bouet in Abidjan, welcomed the opportunity. “I need to train in entrepreneurship and digital marketing – this way, I will be able to compete in the job market or start my own business.”

The second project, with support from Microsoft, will reinforce the digital skills of TVET teachers to allow them to develop digital learning modules in their curricula. Targeting 20 TVET centers in the country’s capital, the pilot will involve more than 300 TVET teachers and administrative volunteers. Through the GSA, these participants will be able to access ready-to-teach curriculum and teaching materials on Microsoft's Learn Platform and Learn for Educators programs.

“Africa is experiencing a powerful wave of technological transformation, bringing with it vast new employment opportunities,” said Jaye Richards-Hill, Microsoft’s Director for Education in Central Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “But to realise this potential, we must first invest in narrowing the skills gap through a reimagining of cross-sector partnerships.”

“Microsoft is committed to playing our part in extending the reach of the Global Skills Academy, supporting its technical skills agenda and providing the learning resources and expertise needed to help this important initiative succeed.” 

The pilot phase of both projects will run throughout 2024, co-managed by UNESCO and the METFPA. The Ministry will then lead on the scale up of the two projects and has invited representatives from several of the country’s TVET institutions to follow the pilots and provide analysis that will inform the sustainable extension of these efforts over several years.

“These two projects are an excellent example of what can be achieved when partners come together and provide their expertise and resources to address critical gaps in education and skills provision,” said Borhene Chakroun, Director of Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems Division at UNESCO. “And, with a clear roadmap to scale up this pilot and for the Ministry to take ownership, these projects have the potential to have a real sustainable impact in the country and reach more young learners.”

The Global Skills Academy leverages strategic partnerships and mobilizes over 230 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions across 150 countries through UNESCO and the UNEVOC Network. The mission, which aims to support ten million youth and adults from around the world in building skills for improved employability and resilience by 2029, connects individual learners, institutions, and governments to a wide range of training programs offered by UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition partners.