MEDIA ADVISORY

 STEM and TVET Pedagogical Innovation Bootcamp: Pedagogical Skills Enhancement for TVET Teachers in AU Member States

INVITATION TO THE MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES

What:  STEM and TVET Pedagogical Innovation Bootcamp

Theme: “Advancing Innovative, Digital and Industry-Responsive Pedagogical Skills for TVET Teachers in AU Member States”

When: 27 - 29 May 2026.

Where: Kigali Serena Hotel, Kigali, Rwanda

Why: Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions play a strategic role in preparing Africa’s young people with the technical, entrepreneurial, digital, green, and problem-solving competencies required for employability, innovation, industrialization, and sustainable socio-economic transformation. As Africa advances implementation of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 26-35), the Continental TVET Strategy for Africa (CTVET-34), Agenda 2063, and the AU Decade of Education and Skills Development (2025–2034), strengthening the quality, relevance, resilience, and industry responsiveness of TVET systems has become a continental priority.

Despite growing investments in skills development, many TVET systems across Africa continue to face challenges related to outdated pedagogical approaches, limited exposure to learner-centred and competency-based methodologies, insufficient integration of STEM education, weak industry linkages, inadequate use of digital learning technologies, and limited continuous professional development opportunities for teachers and trainers. These challenges continue to affect the quality of skills delivery, innovation capacity, and labour market responsiveness of graduates.

At the same time, rapid advancements in digital technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, robotics, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution are transforming labour markets and redefining the future of work globally and across Africa. This evolving landscape requires African education and training systems to adopt innovative, interdisciplinary, competency-based, and technology-enabled teaching and learning approaches capable of equipping learners with future-ready skills.

Recognizing this urgent need, the African Union Commission (AUC), through the Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI), continues to advance continental efforts aimed at strengthening STEM education, digital transformation, innovation ecosystems, and TVET modernization across AU Member States. These efforts seek to promote innovative pedagogies, strengthen industry-academia collaboration, improve employability outcomes, foster entrepreneurship and creativity, and enhance Africa’s competitiveness within the global knowledge economy.

The STEM and TVET Pedagogical Innovation Bootcamp will therefore serve as a strategic continental capacity-building platform aimed at strengthening pedagogical competencies of TVET educators through innovative STEM-integrated, learner-centred, competency-based, and industry-responsive teaching approaches. The bootcamp will further facilitate continental peer learning, institutional collaboration, policy dialogue, and knowledge exchange on innovative teaching methodologies, digital learning solutions, curriculum transformation, and future-oriented skills development.

Objectives:

The aim is to support AU Member States in strengthening the pedagogical capacities of TVET teachers through the development, adaptation, and implementation of competency-based, STEM-integrated, digitally enabled, and industry-responsive teaching and learning approaches aligned with the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 26–35), the Continental TVET Strategy for Africa (CTVET-34), Agenda 2063, and broader continental priorities on innovation, digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development.

Specific Objectives:

• Strengthen pedagogical competencies of TVET teachers through exposure to innovative STEM-integrated and competency-based teaching approaches.
• Support development and adaptation of curricula, learning resources, and training modules integrating STEM, digital technologies, and interdisciplinary learning within TVET programmes.
• Facilitate continental knowledge exchange and peer learning on innovative teaching methodologies, digital learning tools, AI-enabled education, and learner-centred pedagogies.
• Strengthen collaboration networks among TVET institutions, educators, innovation ecosystems, and industry partners across AU Member States.
• Promote industry-linked and work-based learning approaches that improve skills relevance, employability outcomes, entrepreneurship, and institutional responsiveness to labour market demands.
• Strengthen innovation-driven and future-oriented teaching approaches capable of supporting Africa’s industrialization and digital transformation agenda.

 Expected Outcomes:

The bootcamp is expected to deliver the following strategic outcomes:

• Enhanced quality, relevance, inclusiveness, and industry responsiveness of TVET delivery across AU Member States through strengthened pedagogical capacities and innovative STEM-integrated teaching approaches.
• Improved competencies of TVET educators in competency-based, project-based, digital, AI-enabled, industry-aligned, and problem-solving approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment.
• Increased institutionalization of innovative STEM-integrated curricula, digital learning practices, and competency-based teaching models within TVET systems.
• Strengthened continental collaboration, peer learning, and Communities of Practice among TVET educators, institutions, innovation hubs, and industry actors.
• Enhanced integration of digital technologies, entrepreneurship, innovation, and future-oriented skills within TVET teaching and learning processes.
• Development and dissemination of innovative teaching modules, scalable best practices, and policy recommendations to support TVET transformation and implementation of continental education and skills development priorities.
• Strengthened policy dialogue and institutional coordination on TVET modernization, teacher development, innovation ecosystems, and skills transformation across Africa.

Participants:

The Bootcamp will bring together approximately 60 participants from across AU Member States and partner institutions, including TVET teachers and trainers; Representatives of Ministries of Education and TVET Authorities; Curriculum developers and qualification experts; STEM and digital education specialists; Education innovators and EdTech actors; Representatives of Regional Economic Communities (RECs); Industry and private sector representatives; Innovation hubs and entrepreneurship ecosystem actors; Development partners and continental organizations; Academic and research institutions; and Experts in skills development, digital transformation, and workforce development.

Media representatives are invited to cover the STEM and TVET Pedagogical Innovation Bootcamp taking place from 27-29 May 2026 at Kigali Serena Hotel in Kigali.

For further information, please contact:

1. Dr. Caseley Olabode Stephens | Principal Officer, Basic and Secondary Education | Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation | African Union Commission| E-mail: StephensC@africanunion.org | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

For media inquiries, please contact:

2. 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.
3. Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate (ICD), African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africanunion.org