By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The European Union and the
African Union have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in
education, skills development and vocational training as part of efforts to
prepare young people for evolving labour market demands.
The discussions took place
during a meeting between Roxana Minzatu, Executive Vice-President of the
European Commission for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and
Preparedness, and Prof. Gaspard Banyankimbona, African Union Commissioner for
Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, at UNESCO Headquarters.
The two officials
highlighted education as a key pillar of the EU–Africa partnership and agreed
to continue collaboration focused on developing skills aligned with labour
market needs, particularly through vocational education and training
programmes.
The meeting also explored
opportunities to strengthen partnerships with the private sector to ensure that
education and skills initiatives respond effectively to industry requirements
and support employment opportunities.
A key area of discussion was
the European Union’s Pact for Skills, which the African Union identified as a
model of good practice for building stronger skills partnerships across the
continent.
The Pact for Skills brings
together businesses, education and training providers, social partners and
public authorities to identify skills gaps and invest in upskilling and
reskilling initiatives. Since its launch, the initiative has supported the
training of more than 10 million people, while large-scale partnerships have
committed to upskilling and reskilling more than 25 million people by 2030.
