AUDA-NEPAD Podcast Series: Recent Episodes
Teko Nhlapo
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The launch of the Second 10-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, also dubbed as the decade of acceleration (2024-2033), is a historic milestone for the African Union, its Member States, and all African citizens. It marks the beginning of the second decade of a collective effort to realise the vision of a prosperous, peaceful, and integrated Africa by 2063. The Second 10-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063 is a bold and ambitious roadmap for Africa's transformation. It is a manifestation of the collective will and determination of the African people to shape their destinity. It is a reaffirmation of the African dream of unity, dignity, and prosperity for all.
The plan outlines seven moonshots of how the continent aims to achieve key priorities, goals and targets to achieve in the next 10 years. By 2033, Africa wants to be prosperous, integrated, democratic, peaceful, cultured, people-driven and influential.
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The AUDA-NEPAD, together with the FAO and AU-IBAR, co-organised a capacity-building workshop for women’s groups, associations, and cooperatives in African small-scale fisheries and aquaculture. The workshop was hosted by the Tanzanian Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MLF) and was held in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania (URT), from 5–7 December 2023. A total of 63 representatives from women’s groups, associations, and cooperatives from 24 countries gathered together, under the flagship of both AU and FAO fisheries programmes and projects including the AU’s FishGov2 project, and the FAO’s Coastal Fisheries Initiative (CFI) and Fish4ACP project.
The 3-day event served as a useful platform to enhance the organizational and development capacities of women’s groups, associations, and cooperatives involved in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture across Africa, and offered an opportunity to strengthen connections between the groups and to share experiences among women fish processors and traders across the continent. Training sessions covered a range of relevant topics including gender and female leadership, governance of cooperatives, business planning and accounting, entrepreneurship, investment planning and negotiations, management of credit savings groups and innovative and strengthening advocacy and awareness for the African Women Fish Processors and Traders Network (AWFishNet). Participants were also able to gain hands-on experience and exchanges through field visits organised to an entrepreneurial seaweed processing business, a fish landing site and a fish processing site close to Dar es Salaam. Expressing a strong appreciation for the knowledge gained from the workshop, participants made a strong call for continued training and capacity development efforts by the AU and development partners.
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Youth unemployment and underemployment is rampant in Africa, and is often marked by a mismatch between the supply and demand for skills. Without job-related skills, neither youth entering the labour market nor adults who are already working can benefit from employment opportunities that provide a decent income. This video demonstrates how we can harness TVET to take African education and training systems to another level through innovations in policies, partnerships, and practices.
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At a time when resources are already stretched, it’s even more important to work together to identify and implement sustainable solutions that ensure youth entering the labour market have access to employment opportunities – and the skills that match the needs of the labour market. This video demonstrates how Skills Development Groups can provide a platform for this kind of collaborative approach, and in so doing spread resources efficiently, harmonise different stakeholders’ efforts, and create synergies across the whole skills development ecosystem.
This video is part of the Private Sector Engagement (PSE) series developed by the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA). Visit https://aspyee.org/ to access a wealth of practical resources and connect with others in the skills development sector – and start your own working group today!
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The Rapid Skills Assessment tool is a step-by-step ILO Guide that outlines the process for identifying the skills implications of changes that occur in crises situations and how to design interventions for a positive outcome.
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Filling vacancies with competent staff is a key concern for human resource or recruitment managers of all organisations – from large corporations to SMMEs. Job Fairs provide ideal recruitment opportunities where supply can meet demand: HR managers can meet suitable candidates and lessen the costs of lengthy recruitment processes, TVET colleges or skills training providers can share information about their own programmes and find out about developments in their fields, and job seekers and TVET students seeking Work-Based Learning Experiences (WBLE) can find out about relevant openings and career pathways. The Job Fair handbook for HR managers is packed with helpful tools and templates for organising, hosting, and evaluating successful onsite and virtual job fairs in Africa. It is part of the Ultimate Guide to Job Fairs series developed by the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA). Visit https://aspyee.org/resource/ultimate-guide-job-fairs to access the collection.
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The primary goal of a TVET college is to prepare students to become functional workers in a skilled trade as well as facilitate access to employment opportunities. Job Fairs provide ideal opportunities to help TVET managers ensure their courses align with industry requirements while increasing their students’ chances of getting Work-Based Learning Experiences (WBLE) and full-time employment by showcasing their skills to potential employers. The Job Fair handbook for TVET managers is packed with helpful tools and templates for organising, hosting, and evaluating successful onsite and virtual job fairs in Africa. It is part of the Ultimate Guide to Job Fairs series developed by the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA). Visit https://aspyee.org/resource/ultimate-guide-job-fairs to access the collection.
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Job Fairs are one of the best ways to connect with employers, hiring managers, and recruiters. They provide ideal opportunities for supply to meet demand to help TVET graduates land their dream job or secure Work-Based Learning Experience (WBLE) so that they can complete their qualification – but many students find Job Fairs awkward and highly stressful. With SIFA’s Level up and crush it: A student’s guide to job fairs, packed with helpful tools and templates, students can make sure they are well prepared for these events and make the most out of them.
The Level up and crush it: A student’s guide to job fairs is part of the Ultimate Guide to Job Fairs series developed by the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA). Visit https://aspyee.org/resource/ultimate-guide-job-fairs to access the collection.
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With the world of work rapidly evolving as people adopt new technologies and change the way they communicate and collaborate, virtual job fairs are an effective way to showcase TVET graduates’ skills and provide a valuable networking opportunity remotely, bridging the gap between industry and education. SIFA’s Taking Your Job Fair Virtual handbook is packed with helpful tools and templates for using digital solutions like Zoom and MS Teams to organise virtual job fairs to provide businesses, TVET colleges, and job seekers with opportunities to interact.
This video is part of the Ultimate Guide to Job Fairs series developed by the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA). Visit https://aspyee.org/resource/ultimate-guide-job-fairs to access this collection of handbooks for TVET managers to guide the organising, hosting, and evaluation of successful onsite and virtual job fairs in Africa.
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Africa has the youngest population in the world, but also a very high youth unemployment rate. To stimulate sustainable development and change the future of the continent, young Africans need to have access to quality education and decent jobs. ASPYEE’s free knowledge repository hosts a wealth of research and good practice examples, practical tools and guidelines, policy information, communities of practice, and a thriving online forum where registered members can engage with each other to find ways to leverage the potential of young people across the continent. Visit https://aspyee.org/ to find out more.
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Private sector engagement is essential to ensure skills supply meets demand. This video explains how TVET graduates can go from learning to earning through the right partnerships! By all working together, we can bridge the gap between skills development and labour market needs, and truly leverage the potential of young people in Africa.
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Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an innovative process through which a person’s skills are identified, assessed, and formally certified – regardless of when, where, and how they were acquired – thereby increasing their occupational prospects to address the mismatch between the demand and supply of skills. This video uses the example of RPL in Kenya to show how, in a continent where so many people have no formal education, there is a serious skills shortage, and the youth unemployment rates are soaring, RPL is a win-win situation.
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Everyone involved in driving youth employability, employment, and skills development in one way or another on the African continent has the same goal in mind – a generation of skilled young people able to access quality jobs and create entrepreneurship opportunities. This is a key component in achieving the vision of Agenda 2063, which the Skills Initiative for Africa, or SIFA, a programme of the African Union Commission and the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD, seeks to make a reality by ensuring that sustainable and systemic solutions are crafted to influence policy and practice and improve the occupational prospects of youth on the continent.
As we gear up for Phase 2 of SIFA, let’s keep the momentum going! Visit aspyee.org to find out how you can get involved!
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Mr Martin Bwalya, Acting Director Program Evaluation, Knowledge Management and Centres of Excellence at African Union Development Agency-NEPAD unpacks AUDA-NEPAD Centres of Excellence
Bibi Giyose Senior Advisor to African Union Development Agency-NEPAD weighs in on the importance of addressing the 'causality' of stunting in Africa with Agenda 2063 Media Network Journalist, Sydney Phiri of SABC Channel Africa.
Rosemary Mwaisaka Manager NCD Food Security And Nutrition Programme at ECSA speaks to Agenda 2063 Media Network Journalist, Sydney Phiri of SABC Channel Africa about the status of child malnutrition in the Eastern and Southern Africa. #YearofNutrition
Teko Nhlapo, Land Accelerator Africa lead at African Union Development Agency-NEPAD talks all things application for the 2022 Land Accelerator Africa co-hort.
Chimwemwe Chamdimba, Principal Policy Specialist at African Union Development Agency-NEPAD unpacks the Kujenga Workshop.
Infrastructure, a key to unlocking Africa’s potential. Millicent Kgeledi chat to Dr Towela Nyirenda-Jere,Head of Economic Integration Programme
Is the spirit of Pan-Africanism still alive today? Mwanja N'ganjo chats to Amine Idriss-Adoum, Director of Programme Delivery and Coordination.
Why is knowledge critical for the development of the continent? Mwanja N'ganjo, Head of Communication chats to Martin Bwalya, ActingDirector of Knowledge Management & Programme Evaluation.
Seeing as the COVID-19 pandemic will be with us for quite some time, what are the key areas for development that Africa should be focussing on? Mwanja N'ganjo, Head of Communication chats to Estherine Fotabong, Director Programme Innovation and Planning.
Mwanja N'ganjo, Head of Communications talks to Amine Idriss-Adoum, Programme Delivery & Coordination Directorate on whether Do youth in Africa have a bright future in the space of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises?
Ms. Mwanja N'ganjo, Head of Communications at AUDA-NEPAD chats to Mr. Symerre Grey-Johnson, Director of Technical Cooperation and Programme Funding on Building Strong Partnerships towards the Africa We Want.