The African Union Commission announces Zimbabwe as the host of the continental commemoration of Africa Skills Week 2026, scheduled to take place from 12 to 16 October 2026. The event will convene Member States, Regional Economic Communities, industry, academia, youth, development partners, civil society, research institutions, development finance institutions, foundations, media, United Nations organizations and other international agencies around a common agenda for skills development, employment and industrial transformation across Africa.
Africa Skills Week 2026 will be held under the theme, “Skills for Resilient and Competitive African Industries: From Training to Value Creation.” The theme reflects the African Union’s commitment to strengthening the link between training systems and the evolving demands of labour markets, while promoting skills development as a driver of economic growth, social inclusion and sustainable development.
The 2026 edition builds on the success of Africa Skills Week 2025, which brought together more than 850 participants from Member States, Regional Economic Communities, industry, academia, youth and development partners. The 2025 edition marked major milestones, including the launch of the Continental Technical and Vocational Education and Training Strategy 2025–2034 and renewed commitments by Member States and partners to align skills systems with Africa’s industrialization and transformation priorities.
Africa Skills Week is positioned as a premier continental platform for policy dialogue, partnership-building and innovation in skills development. It advances skills development as a catalyst for industrialisation, productivity, decent job creation and sustainable economic transformation through enhanced policy coherence, inclusive and high-quality Technical and Vocational Education and Training, stronger partnerships, resource sharing and the strategic use of innovation and technology in support of Agenda 2063 and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2026–2035 and the Continental TVET Strategy for Africa 2025–2034 underscore the critical role of education and training, particularly the expansion of TVET opportunities and stronger linkages with the world of work. Africa Skills Week 2026 will therefore provide a continental space to address persistent challenges such as low enrolment, outdated training programmes and facilities that require stronger alignment with rapidly changing labour market needs.
The week will feature high-level plenaries, an opening ceremony with keynote addresses by African Union leaders, the host country leadership and development partners, as well as a ministerial and private sector roundtable bringing together Ministers responsible for education, labour and industry alongside CEOs and business leaders. These engagements will support policy direction and investment priorities for skills development aligned with Africa’s priority value chains.
The programme will also include technical sessions and sectoral panels showcasing best practices and innovations in skills development across industrial priority sectors. A Skills Development Marketplace and Exhibition will provide visibility for national and regional programmes, private sector-led initiatives and youth-led innovations, while a Women and Youth Entrepreneurial Engagement Platform will promote career dialogue, innovation pitches, networking, mentorship and opportunity creation.
Curated field visits to selected industrial parks, TVET institutions, innovation hubs and enterprise training centres in Zimbabwe will demonstrate practical models of skills development, enterprise partnerships and innovation ecosystems. These visits will reinforce the Continental TVET Strategy’s emphasis on enterprise-based learning, stronger linkages between training systems and industry needs, public-private partnerships in dual training, apprenticeships, and the practical application of digital and green technologies in training and production.
Member States will be encouraged to use Africa Skills Week as a springboard for country-level action plans aligned with the Continental TVET Strategy 2025–2034. The African Union Commission and AUDA-NEPAD will support coordination, visibility and peer learning across countries, while mapping country-level skills development and employment-focused actions to deepen ownership and impact.
The Africa Skills Week 2026 programme will be jointly developed by the African Union Commission and Zimbabwe as host country. The African Union Commission will lead the invitation and mobilization of participants across AU Member States and relevant stakeholder groups, while working closely with the host country on programme organization, visibility, logistics and outreach. The week will conclude with a commitment session to synthesize key outcomes, recommendations and stakeholder commitments into a communiqué for action and follow-up.
By bringing together governments, industry, academia, development partners, civil society and young people, Africa Skills Week 2026 will strengthen continental collaboration and accelerate implementation of skills development priorities that respond to Africa’s industrialization, competitiveness and inclusive development agenda.
For further information, please contact:
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Mr Chigozie Emmanuel Okonkwo | Education and Skills Advisor | Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation | African Union Commission| E-mail: OkonkwoC@africanunion.org | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
For media inquiries, please contact:
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Mr. Maqhawe Freedom Thwala | Digital Communications Officer | Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation| African Union Commission| E-mail: ThwalaM@africanunion.org| Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
