ICQN-TVSD Ministerial Conference on Africa's Youth Employment

ADEA’s Inter-Country Quality Node on Technical and Vocational Skills Development (ICQN-TVSD) is actively preparing its first major regional event that will address the crucial issue of youth employment in Africa.

The “2014 Ministerial Conference on Youth Employment: How to Improve, Through Skills Development and Job Creation, Access of Africa’s Youth to the World of Work” will be held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on July 21-23, 2014.

The conference will start with a one-day experts’ meeting. The ministerial meeting will adopt a Regional Action Plan (2014-2017) for youth employment. It will also adopt the ICQN-TVSD’s work program (2014-2017).

The conference is organized by the ICQN-TVSD, led by the Ministry of State, Ministry of Employment, Social Affairs and Vocational Training of Côte d'Ivoire, in partnership with ADEA. Technical and financial support is also provided by the following agencies: the French Agency for Development (AFD), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the International Development Research Center (IDRC), the German Cooperation (GIZ), Luxemburg’s development agency (LuxDev), the Swiss Cooperation through NORRAG and the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).

Ministers and experts from thirty African countries have been invited to participate in the conference. Partners from the economic and professional world, as well as experts working on various themes and on modalities of youth’s access youth to the world of work are also expected.

The following countries have been invited to the conference: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cap Verde, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroun, Congo, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea Conakry, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Most countries have contributed case studies on national strategies to integrate and create jobs for the youth.  These strategies will be shared during the conference.

Created in 2010, the ADEA’s Inter-Country quality Node on Technical and Vocational Skills Development (ICQN-TVSD) aims to share experiences, strategies and policies in the field of TVSD. The ultimate objective sought is the effective implementation of policies and actions at the service of accelerated and sustainable development in Africa. The ICQN-TVSD is led by the Ministry of State, Ministry of Employment, Social Affairs and Vocational Training of Côte d'Ivoire. It currently brings together 25 Anglophone, Francophone and Lusophone countries from all the regions of Africa.

Information on the conference is posted on the dedicated conference web site at: youthemploymentforum.adeanet.org

For more information, please contact: 

• Mr. Amara KAMATE, Technical Advisor, Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training, Côte d'Ivoire, Email: amarakamate25@yahoo.fr
• Mr. Richard Walther, International Consultant in skills development, Email: walther.richard@orange.fr