The International Labour Organization (ILO) emphasized the importance of skills development and lifelong learning for inclusive industrialization at 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, ISWA 2025 focused on accelerating Africa's industrial transformation through partnerships between public and private stakeholders. The event complements Africa Skills Week and supports the African Union Continental TVET Strategy (2025-2034) by putting a spotlight on the role of employers and workers in shaping future skills systems.
Panel with industry stakeholders Hitachi, Volvo, FESTO didactics, training providers and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
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 ILO's contribution highlighted two flagship initiatives:
- Africa Critical Skills Bank, implemented by AUDA-NEPAD, is a strategic tool for identifying and addressing critical skills shortages required for industrial development across the continent.
- Skills for Sustainable Industrial Transformations in Africa (SITA), a joint initiative by the ILO and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), fosters public-private development partnerships by linking training providers with industry players to drive inclusive and sustainable industrial growth.
© ILO
The ILO Africa Skills Hub played an active role in 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 efforts are part of the ILO's broader mandate to promote sustainable employment through skills development, especially for young people and women.
"The industrial transformation of Africa cannot happen without transforming how we prepare our people, especially our youth, for the jobs of tomorrow," said Ms Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD.
The industrial transformation of Africa cannot happen without transforming how we prepare our people, especially our youth, for the jobs of tomorrow.
Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of AUDA-NEPAD
The two-day event featured innovation exhibitions, sectoral roundtables, and site visits to local training centres, showcasing successful initiatives that link TVET to employment and entrepreneurship. It also underscored Zambia's leadership in demand-driven skills reform, with the Ministry of Technology and Science and its implementation agency, the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority (TEVETA), playing a central role.
The ILO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting skills ecosystems that are inclusive, demand-driven, and capable of powering Africa's future through innovation and decent work.
