CHINESE and United Nations officials have called for advancing vocational education and talent development programmes in Africa to speed up industrialization and continental transformation.
They made the call Sunday at the opening of a seminar on vocational education management and capacity-building for the Luban Workshop in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
Jiang Feng, head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union (AU), said China is committed to building a vocational education development community in Africa through various skill development training programmes.
“The training seminar initiated today is a practical measure to implement the commitments within the framework of the China-Africa-UN Tripartite Cooperation Demonstration Centre,” he said. “It focuses on the demand for skilled talents in the industrialization process of Africa, and deeply connects with the AU Agenda 2063.”
Highlighting that China has implemented thousands of training programmes, including overseas ones for fellow African people, Jiang said that China-Africa cooperation, especially in the areas of industrialization, agricultural modernization, and talent cultivation, is gaining momentum.
He recalled that China has launched 17 cooperation programmes in Africa related to governance, industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, green development, capacity-building, health, cultural exchanges, and peace and security.
Asegid Adane Mebratu, national programme officer at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Ethiopia, emphasized the need to promote vocational education in Africa to sustainably meet the evolving needs of industries and communities in the continent.
“The Luban Workshop represents a practical effort to enhance technical skills development and promote technology exchange in support of industrial upgrading and talent cultivation in Africa,” Mebratu said, noting that the seminar is part of the broader commitment to strengthening the China-Africa-UNIDO Centre of Excellence.
Xinhua Yonas Ak
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