For the millions of young Africans who enter the job market each year and find it too small to hold them, the conversations underway this week in Harare carry real weight. More than 12 million young people enter the labour market annually across the continent, yet only about three million are absorbed into the formal economy. Closing that gap is the central purpose of the Third Edition of Africa Skills Week 2026, officially opened today at the Harare International Conference Centre.
The event runs from 12 to 16 October 2026. It is organised by the African Union Commission’s Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation and hosted in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe, under the patronage of President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. Leaders, policymakers, industry representatives, education and training institutions, development partners and young people have gathered under the theme “Skills for Resilient and Competitive African Industries: From Training to Value Creation.”
President Mnangagwa, welcoming delegates to Zimbabwe, placed the continent’s youth at the heart of the agenda. “Our continent possesses the youngest population in the world, with over sixty percent under the age of thirty-five,” he said, arguing that this demographic potential must be converted into a competitive force through deliberate investments in relevant skills, work-based learning and enterprise incubation. He urged a shift away from predominantly theoretical education towards practical knowledge and technical capabilities. He pointed to Zimbabwe’s national philosophy that “a country is built, governed and sustained by its own people” as he called on delegates to deliver tangible outcomes and African solutions to African challenges.
Speaking on behalf of African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Gaspard Banyankimbona thanked President Mnangagwa and the Government and people of Zimbabwe for their hospitality and commitment to the skills agenda. He then turned to the urgency facing young jobseekers, stressing the need to expand opportunity through entrepreneurship, innovation and the development of high-value industries so that the annual flow of new labour market entrants is not left waiting.
The Commissioner framed emerging technologies as a source of possibility for Africa’s young people, particularly in artificial intelligence, robotics and other advanced fields. Invoking Thomas Sankara’s call to “dare to invent the future,” he argued that Africa must own its industrialisation by adapting global technologies to local challenges in agriculture, mining, health and other strategic sectors. He also insisted that digital transformation in education remain human-centred and inclusive. “While AI and digital technologies are transforming education, the human dimension of teaching remains irreplaceable,” he said, adding that Africa must empower teachers to harness technology while developing learners as creators, innovators and problem-solvers rather than merely consumers of it.
Meanwhile, for workers and employers alike, the question of where skills meet trade loomed large. Commissioner Banyankimbona underscored the importance of aligning technical and vocational education and training with the African Continental Free Trade Area, which represents a combined gross domestic product of approximately USD 3.4 trillion. Stronger links between skills development and priority value chains such as agro-processing, automotive manufacturing and pharmaceuticals, together with harmonised skills standards and better mobility of skilled workers, would strengthen regional integration and competitiveness, he said.
He also pressed Member States to turn continental frameworks into measurable national action, citing the Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2026-2035, the African Continental TVET Strategy 2025-2034 and the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa 2034. He commended Zimbabwe’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 model as an example of education contributing directly to value creation, and proposed consideration of an annual Africa Education and Skills Summit to strengthen political leadership, financing and accountability.
The gathering builds on earlier editions held in Ghana in 2024 and Ethiopia in 2025. Its deliberations will feed into the Sixth Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Education, Science and Technology, scheduled for 2-6 November 2026 in Addis Ababa. The opening ceremony drew ministers, members of parliament, representatives of AU Member States, Regional Economic Communities and international partners, diplomats, industry leaders, employers and workers’ organisations, TVET institutions, academia, civil society and young people.
A communiqué outlining continental priorities and commitments is expected, alongside recommendations on skills financing, labour-market responsiveness, work-based learning, inclusion and innovation-driven education. The African Union Commission reaffirmed its readiness to work with Member States and partners to turn outcomes into concrete action, ensuring that skills development creates opportunities for young people, strengthens African industries and advances Agenda 2063, The Africa We Want. Whether this week’s promises translate into jobs for the millions still waiting remains the question young Africans will be watching most closely.