Hon. Ousman Sillah, Secretary General of the Sub-Saharan Africa Skills and Apprenticeship Stakeholders Network (SASASNET), represented the African continent at a high-level panel discussion on “Priorities for Future TVET Collaboration: Towards a Global TVET Agenda” during the UNESCO-UNEVOC International Conference on “Open Innovation in TVET: Collaborating Towards a Global TVET Agenda.”
The three-day global conference, held from 4 to 6 November 2026 in São Paulo, Brazil, brought together policymakers, TVET leaders, researchers, industry representatives, and development partners from 35 countries to explore innovative approaches to strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems worldwide.
The event was organized by UNESCO-UNEVOC in collaboration with the Brazilian National Service for Industrial Training (SENAI), with support from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Germany, and funding from the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ) of Germany.
Hon. Sillah joined an esteemed panel of international TVET experts, including Mr. Kertney Thompson, Chairperson of the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities (CANTA); Mr. Han Jeong Tae, International Affairs Senior Specialist at the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training (KRIVET); and Ms. Birgit Thomann, Director General for International VET at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), Germany. The session was moderated by Mr. Friedrich Huebler, Director General of UNESCO-UNEVOC, Bonn, Germany.
Speaking on behalf of Africa, Hon. Sillah highlighted the continent’s priorities for advancing skills development and strengthening global cooperation in TVET. He emphasized the importance of aligning skills training with employment opportunities, entrepreneurship, and the evolving needs of labour markets.
He called for greater investment in apprenticeship systems and work-based learning, noting that informal and formal apprenticeship programmes continue to play a critical role in training millions of young people across Africa.
Hon. Sillah also stressed the need for stronger international collaboration to prepare young people for the digital economy, promote green skills for sustainable development, and enhance knowledge sharing between regions.
“Future TVET collaboration must be built on innovation, inclusivity and partnership,” he said. “No region should be left behind as the world prepares learners and workers for the rapidly changing demands of the future world of work.”
He further underscored the value of South-South cooperation, encouraging stronger partnerships among African countries and between Africa and other regions to exchange best practices, promote skills mobility, and support economic transformation.
The conference concluded with participants reaffirming the importance of international cooperation in developing responsive, inclusive and sustainable TVET systems capable of addressing global challenges and opportunities.
SASASNET’s participation at the conference reinforced Africa’s commitment to contributing to the development of a global TVET agenda that supports quality skills development, lifelong learning, youth employment, innovation and sustainable economic growth.
