**The Regional Forum on Vocational Education and Training in Central Africa: A Crucial Commitment for the Future of Youth**
The recent Regional Forum of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) countries on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) held in Kinshasa marked a crucial step in the search for solutions to address the challenges of youth employability in Central Africa. Organized by the UNESCO Country Office in collaboration with the National Ministry of Vocational Training, this event brought together key stakeholders in the sector to discuss the best approaches to adopt in order to ensure better skills transmission and better integration of young people into the labor market.
The involvement of experts from education and training institutions, representatives of the economic world, development partners, academics, researchers and politicians made it possible to identify the main challenges facing TVET in Central Africa, and to formulate concrete recommendations to address them. The formulation of these recommendations, such as the development of adapted policies and strategies, capacity building in training program engineering and the integration of digital and ecological transitions in TVET, underlines the importance of rethinking training systems to better meet the demands of today’s world.
The closure of this work did not mark the end of the efforts, but rather the beginning of a new phase. It is crucial that the discussions and priority areas identified during this forum translate into concrete and measurable actions. As stressed by the Representative of the UNESCO office in the DRC, Dr. Isaias Barreto da Rosa, it is essential to make Technical and Vocational Education and Training a lever for transformation for Central Africa.
The implementation of the recommendations made during this forum will require the commitment of all stakeholders, including national administrations, businesses, development partners, families and young people themselves. It is imperative that everyone contributes to building a future where every citizen of the sub-region will have the skills and confidence to fully participate in building a more integrated and prosperous society.
In conclusion, the Regional Forum on TVET in Central Africa was a unique opportunity to bring together key stakeholders in the sector to reflect together on the challenges and opportunities of vocational education and training in the region. It is now up to everyone to actively engage in implementing the recommendations made at this event, in order to make TVET a powerful lever for transformation for Central Africa.