Between 2020 and 2040, the number of young Africans completing upper secondary or tertiary education is projected to more than double, from 103 million to 240 million (AUC & OECD, 2024). This demographic shift underscores the urgent need for technology-driven, scalable strategies that prepare young people for future work – particularly in sustainable sectors such as precision agriculture, biotechnology, and the green, digital, blue, and orange economies (AU CTVET Strategy 2025–2034). Meeting this demand calls for the transformation of education and training systems, particularly through secondary education, and rethinking financing for technical and vocational skills development (TVSD) while being cognizant of the importance of indigenous knowledge.

The link between secondary education and TVET in equipping youth with relevant, 21st-century skills is well-articulated in four of the six strategic pillars of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 26–35). The Continental TVET Strategy for Africa (2025–2034) outlines four priority pillars: policy, governance, and finance; quality and inclusion; partnerships, knowledge sharing, and linkages with the productive sector; and institutional development, technology, and innovation, including digital and green transformation of systems and curricula. These strategies are supported by robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks designed to track country-level domestication and impact. However, limited national capacity – both financial and human – poses a significant barrier to their full domestication and implementation. The African Union and its partners have established implementation frameworks for multi-stakeholder partnerships at national, regional, and continental levels.

The secondary education/ TVSD nexus

Countries are increasingly recognizing TVSD as a viable and respected career pathway. In response, some are integrating vocational subjects into secondary education, helping students explore career options early while equipping those who transition directly to the labor market with practical, employable skills. This also serves to enhance career guidance, reduce the stigma around vocational paths, and expand pathways to decent work.

But transforming secondary education in Africa to adequately prepare youth for the future requires a holistic approach that addresses several interconnected areas. Competency-based education (CBE) promotes practical and participatory teaching/ learning methods and emphasizes skills like critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, communication, collaboration, self-efficacy, learning to learn, and digital literacy. Successful implementation of the competency-based curriculum (CBC) requires significant awareness among stakeholders and dealing with challenges of large class sizes, inadequate infrastructure, and difficulties in standardizing assessment for a personalized learning approach. In CBC, teachers move from being "transmitters of knowledge" to "enablers" and facilitators, actively involved in supervising and guiding learners. They therefore need a deep understanding of CBC principles, a positive attitude towards the new approach, and the skills to implement it effectively. This includes training in learner-centered methods and digital literacy. Continuous in-service training and support systems are vital in effectively preparing teachers for CBC implementation.

Significant repetition and dropout rates often occur during the transition from primary to junior secondary and within the secondary cycle in Africa. Improving transitions calls for diversifying post-primary structures to provide more varied learning pathways that respond better to the continent's economic and social realities. Developing robust support mechanisms, including guidance counseling and mentorship programs, can also address the emotional, social, and academic challenges students face during transitions. Ensuring a smooth progression of learning and skill development from primary to secondary and beyond, minimizing the disconnect between different educational levels, is also key.

Alternative pathways to academic and the world of work

Not all students are suited for traditional academic pathways to university. Alternative pathways are crucial for inclusion and for meeting the diverse needs of the economy. Key strategies include strengthening TVSD programs to provide practical and market-relevant skills, fostering partnerships with industries to also promote off-campus training and teaching models (done within the industry), developing and expanding non-formal education programs for out-of-school youth and offering pathways back to formal education or direct entry into the workforce, creating more opportunities for hands-on learning through apprenticeships and internships, bridging the gap between education and employment, integrating entrepreneurship skills into the curriculum and providing support for young people to start their own businesses, and offering targeted programs in digital skills, coding, and other tech-related areas to prepare youth for the digital economy.

To prepare Africa’s youth better for the future world of work, secondary education curricula need to strongly align with the demands of the future job market, informed by labor market analyses and industry needs. It is also important to foster stronger collaborations between educational institutions, industry, government, and civil society, and provide effective career guidance and counseling services for students to explore different pathways and make informed decisions. By addressing these interconnected areas comprehensively, African countries can truly transform their secondary education systems to empower their youth with the competencies, skills, and mindsets needed to thrive in the future world of work.

Contextual domestication and the value of indigenous knowledge

A central challenge remains the contextual domestication of the continental strategy – ensuring national strategies adapt the broad AU framework to their unique circumstances, while also advancing priorities such as recognition of prior learning and training; social inclusion and gender equity; digital and green transformation; and productive sector engagement in curriculum design and delivery. To overcome this, countries are encouraged to build on existing partnerships and successful models, adopt a flexible approach to innovation, and re-examine domestic resource mobilization strategies for financing skills development. There are notable initiatives that support the establishment of TVET Centres of Excellence, promote blended learning approaches, and facilitate cross-country knowledge exchange. They include ILO’s SKILL-UP Ghana project, GIZ’s STEP Programme in Ethiopia, Commonwealth of Learning’s Skills for Work (SfW) in Nigeria, Zambia, and Kenya, and AUDA-NEPAD’s Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA).

Integrating Africa's rich indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) into its educational frameworks is a strategic necessity for fostering sustainable growth across the continent's blue, green, and orange economies. IKS offers context-specific, resilient, and culturally relevant solutions that, when combined with modern education and technology, can unlock significant economic potential, create jobs, and enhance livelihoods. Furthermore, this approach promotes environmental stewardship, cultural preservation, and contributes to the decolonization of educational systems. By bridging traditional wisdom with contemporary learning, Africa can cultivate a workforce equipped to drive inclusive and sustainable development. Effective integration of IKS into African education requires a multi-faceted approach encompassing curriculum reform, innovative pedagogical methods, robust teacher training, and genuine community partnerships. It also necessitates designing educational programs that combine traditional ecological knowledge and cultural practices with modern technological, business, and digital skills to empower IKS holders to participate in and lead sustainable ventures.

This sub-theme at the ADEA 2025 Triennale will explore the extent to which innovative efforts are transforming the TVSD landscape in Africa with a greater nexus with a transformed secondary education. It will also highlight what works, identify scalable practices, and discuss the future of secondary education as a driver of inclusive growth, decent work, and economic transformation on the continent.