Fostering opportunities for addressing youth under employment is increasingly becoming a key priority agendum for almost all African countries. Several key instruments have been developed to guide youth development/employment in Africa over the years (see No 2.4 below). In connection to this, technical and vocational education and training (hereafter TVET)2 is higher on African Member States’ agendas than ever before. There is now growing acknowledgement among diverse salient stakeholders on the importance of TVET to foster youth employment, contribute to the economic development of African countries, and to gain competitiveness at the global market. An important goal of the African TVET3 systems is to develop skills that are relevant, up-to-date, sought after in the job market, and ultimately, help their trainees to find employment or become successful entrepreneurs (see AU, 2007). As a steep forward in this direction, the Heads of State and Government in July 2017 declared through decision Assembly/AU/Dec.652 (XXIX), the 2018-2027 periods, as the African Decade for Technical, Professional and Entrepreneurial Training and Youth Employment. The decision also requested the AUC in collaboration with Burkina Faso and development Partners to develop this “Plan of Action for the African Decad (2019-2028) for Technical, Professional, Entrepreneurial Training and Youth Employment” (hereafter PoA).
