A four-day ILO Core Skills Training in Jimma, Ethiopia, has strengthened the capacity of Technical and Vocational Training (TVT) instructors, curriculum developers, and career counsellors to deliver essential employability skills. The programme focused on practical skills such as communication, problem solving, teamwork, digital literacy, and green skills, equipping participants with hands-on methods and personalised action plans to better prepare young people for the workforce. Through interactive exercises, scenario-based learning, and demonstrations, instructors gained practical tools to integrate core skills into lessons and learner support services.
From the outset, participants identified self-management, communication, and problem solving as key areas for improvement, shaping a highly interactive programme centred on real-world teaching challenges. Instructors reported that the training increased their confidence in applying structured approaches to teaching core skills and in supporting students to develop workplace-relevant competencies. Several participants highlighted the value of social and emotional skills, cognitive and meta-cognitive skills, and environmental awareness, noting plans to incorporate these into technical lessons through interactive methods such as role play, brainstorming, and demonstration.
The training also addressed Ethiopia’s persistent skills mismatch, which affects the smooth entry of young graduates into the labour market. By enhancing the delivery of core skills at TVT institutions, the initiative supports a more market-responsive skills development system that combines technical knowledge with foundational workplace behaviours. On the final day, each participant developed a personalised action plan to mainstream core skills into curricula, strengthen digital literacy, and integrate environmental awareness into practical exercises.
This initiative is part of the ILO’s Global Skills Programme in Ethiopia, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), which aims to improve the quality and inclusivity of the country’s skills development system. The programme focuses on skills anticipation, strengthening technical and vocational training, supporting international trade skills, and promoting social inclusion for marginalized groups, including women and people with disabilities. By empowering TVT instructors with improved methods, frameworks, and learner-centred approaches, the Core Skills Training contributes to Ethiopia’s broader goal of enabling young people to access decent work and participate in the country’s economic growth.
