The International Labour Organization (ILO) emphasized the importance of skills development and lifelong learning for inclusive industrialization during the inaugural Industrial Skills Week Africa (ISWA), held from 9 to 10 September 2025 in Lusaka, Zambia. Organized by the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD) in collaboration with the Government of Zambia, the event focused on accelerating Africa’s industrial transformation through partnerships between public and private stakeholders. ISWA 2025 complemented Africa Skills Week and supported the African Union Continental TVET Strategy (2025–2034) by highlighting the role of employers and workers in shaping future skills systems.
Held under the theme “Powering Africa’s Industrial Future: Skills for Innovation, Growth and Sustainability,” the event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, training providers, youth representatives, and development partners to address persistent skills mismatches in sectors such as manufacturing, agro-processing, mining, pharmaceuticals, and green industries. The program included panels featuring industry stakeholders like Hitachi, Volvo, and FESTO Didactics, as well as training providers and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The ILO showcased two flagship initiatives during ISWA. The Africa Critical Skills Bank, implemented by AUDA-NEPAD, serves as a strategic tool to identify and address critical skills shortages needed for industrial development across the continent. The Skills for Sustainable Industrial Transformations in Africa (SITA), a joint initiative by the ILO and UNIDO, promotes public-private partnerships by linking training providers with industry players to foster inclusive and sustainable industrial growth. The ILO Africa Skills Hub contributed to technical sessions and policy dialogues, sharing expertise in labour market intelligence, future skills forecasting, and inclusive technical and vocational education and training (TVET) reform. These initiatives support sustainable employment, particularly for young people and women.
The two-day event also featured innovation exhibitions, sectoral roundtables, and site visits to local training centres, showcasing successful programs that connect TVET to employment and entrepreneurship. Zambia’s leadership in demand-driven skills reform was highlighted, with the Ministry of Technology and Science and its implementation agency, the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA), playing a central role. AUDA-NEPAD CEO Nardos Bekele-Thomas emphasized that Africa’s industrial transformation requires preparing youth for the jobs of tomorrow.
The ILO reaffirmed its commitment to fostering inclusive and demand-driven skills ecosystems capable of powering Africa’s industrial future, supporting innovation, and creating decent work opportunities across the continent.
