The International Labour Organization (ILO), through its Global Skills Programme (GSP), has delivered core skills training in collaboration with Ethiopia's Education and Training Authority (ETA), strengthening the capacity of regulatory experts and technical and vocational training (TVT) stakeholders to improve training quality, institutional monitoring and alignment with labour market needs.
The training focuses on a critical dimension of Ethiopia's skills development system: ensuring that vocational institutions not only deliver technical competencies but also equip graduates with transferable skills needed to succeed in a changing world of work.
By bringing together ETA quality assurance experts and representatives of training institutions and industry, the initiative seeks to strengthen how core skills are understood, assessed and integrated into TVT quality assurance practices.
© ILO/Homa M Ejeta
Moving beyond technical skills to improve training quality
As workplaces evolve, technical expertise alone is no longer sufficient. Communication, teamwork, problem-solving, emotional intelligence and adaptability are increasingly essential for workers to perform effectively, respond to change and remain employable.
For Ethiopia's TVT system, this calls for quality assurance approaches that look beyond technical instruction to assess how effectively institutions prepare graduates for real workplace demands.
The training addressed this need by equipping participants with practical knowledge and approaches to integrate core skills into institutional monitoring, inspection, assessment and training delivery.
For Tigist Hailesilasie, from ETA, the training reinforced the importance of core skills in the everyday responsibilities of quality assurance professionals.
"Emotional skill is very essential to make a valid, reliable and appropriate decision," she noted, highlighting the importance of effective communication, leadership and teamwork in regulatory work.
She explained that the knowledge and practical tools gained through the training would help enhance existing inspection, monitoring and quality assurance practices, including interactions between regulatory teams and TVT providers.
© ILO/Homa M Ejeta
Making institutional assessments more practical and evidence-based
A central focus of the training was strengthening the practical application of core skills in quality assurance, helping participants connect institutional standards with the competencies required in today's labour market.
Participants explored ways to make institutional assessments more objective, strengthen monitoring tools and improve the alignment between training delivery and workplace expectations.
For Tesfaye Alene, from Kinderhilfswerk Global Care Ethiopia, the training offered practical approaches to strengthen institutional accountability and continuous improvement.
"Replacing subjective reviews with evidence-based assessments to accurately identify institutional gaps and guide corrective actions," he said, identifying one way the learning could strengthen quality assurance practices.
He also highlighted the importance of structured checklists, diagnostic tools and closer monitoring of training delivery to ensure programmes respond to industry standards and changing labour market demands.
These approaches are particularly relevant to ETA's mandate to monitor, inspect and support quality standards across vocational training institutions.
Connecting training quality with workplace realities
The training also emphasized the importance of strengthening the connection between vocational training and the skills employers expect.
For Sisay Guta, an Engineer from the Ethiopian Railway Corporation, emotional intelligence and effective communication stood out as essential competencies for improving training quality and institutional performance.
Drawing on her experience, she highlighted the importance of sharing the learning with colleagues and applying practical approaches to improve the monitoring of vocational training delivery.
She also pointed to the wider benefits of integrating core skills into Ethiopia's TVT system, including improved graduate employability, greater workforce productivity and stronger links between training and industry.
Her perspective reinforces the role of employers and industry stakeholders in ensuring that vocational training responds to the realities of the workplace.
© ILO/Homa M Ejeta
Building a stronger foundation for employability and decent work
Beyond strengthening individual competencies, the training aims to support a broader shift towards more consistent, evidence-based and labour-market-responsive quality assurance across Ethiopia's TVT system.
Integrating core skills into institutional monitoring and assessment can help ensure that training providers give greater attention to the competencies graduates need to communicate effectively, work with others, solve problems and adapt to technological and workplace changes.
For ETA and participating institutions, the next step is translating the training into strengthened professional practices, more effective assessments and continued institutional learning.
Through its Global Skills Programme, the ILO supports countries in building inclusive, demand-driven skills systems that improve employability, productivity and access to decent work.
The collaboration with ETA contributes to these objectives by strengthening the institutional capacity needed to deliver relevant, quality vocational training and better connect skills development with Ethiopia's evolving labour market.
About the ILO Global Skills Programme
The ILO Global Skills Programme supports countries in developing inclusive, demand-driven skills systems and promotes lifelong learning, quality assurance and stronger links between skills development and employment. The programme is funded by Norway through Norad, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation.
