Africa’s youth population is growing rapidly, and by 2050, it is expected that most young people in the world will live on the continent. Yet, there is a lack of decent jobs to absorb the up to 20 million young Africans entering the labour market each year. Governments across the continent have been struggling to develop strategies and policies that translate to significant job growth, particularly in industries in the field of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). For example, the World Bank estimates that 230 million jobs in Africa will require basic digital skills by 2030. The challenges range from transforming education and training to accelerating manufacturing and industry to providing clear regulatory frameworks for data protection, digital privacy, and responsible Artificial Intelligence.

KAS, the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), and The African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) have collaborated on three dialogues with experts and policymakers, culminating in an event at the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on July 12, 2023.  These dialogues have been designed to facilitate knowledge sharing among policymakers, development partners, and other stakeholders in multilateral institutions to identify concrete policy actions to accelerate the development of digital skills in Africa. The three topics have been “Re-imagining Technical and Vocational Education and Training for the Fourth Industrial Revolution" with ACET as the lead organizer; “Disinformation, Data Management, and Citizen Skills” with KAS as the lead organizer; and “Technical and Soft Skills in the Digital Era” with IOE as the lead organizer.  Key messages from the expert dialogues and HLPF event are below.

The key messages from the expert dialogues and HLPF event are available for download.

About the organizers

The International Organisation of Employers (IOE) is one of the leading voices for business at the global level and on the ground. With more than 150 EBMO members in 148 countries, IOE represents the interests of over 50 million companies. Quite simply, it is the largest global community network of the private sector. For over 100 years, it has been a powerful and balanced voice of business and offers a diverse and unique perspective based on members that include companies ranging from large multinationals to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and a vast collection of industries.

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) is one of Germany’s six political foundations and is closely associated with, yet independent from, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. With more than 100 offices worldwide, KAS acts as a bridge between state and non-state actors in the promotion of democracy, rule of law and the social market economy.

The African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) is a pan-African economic policy Institute supporting Africa’s long-term growth through transformation. ACET produces research, offers policy advice, and convenes key stakeholders so that African countries are better positioned for smart, inclusive, and sustainable development. Based in Accra, Ghana, ACET has worked in nearly two dozen African countries since its founding in 2008.