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OP-VET – Vocational Training for Future Needs in Africa

OP-VET is a 5-year employment promotion project, implemented by EDUFI in cooperation with Belgium, France, and Germany’s development agencies in the spirit of Team Europe. The primary objective is to enhance the vocational education and training (VET) systems in African countries to better meet the skills needs created by the Global Gateway investments. The project focuses on enabling the green and digital transitions by providing expert support and funding for educational development, while also facilitating cooperation between the public and private sectors. 

The private sector plays a key role by participating in identifying skill gaps. The project builds on existing partnerships with African organizations and strengthens collaboration between public and private sectors to align training with Africa-Europe investment objectives. 

  • Duration: 2024–2029 
  • Budget: Approx. €76 million 
  • Funders: European Union (€75 million) and the German Development Bank (€1.05 million) 
  • Partners: Enabel, Expertise France, EDUFI, GIZ 
  • EDUFI’s role: Facilitating dialogue between public and private sectors, and collecting and sharing best practices on opportunity-driven VET 

Why is the initiative important? 

  • Rapid population growth and youth unemployment in African countries require new solutions 
  • The Global Gateway strategy brings significant investments, which require skilled labor 
  • Demand-driven vocational training ensures that education aligns with real labor market needs 

Who benefits? 

  • Local population in Africa: Global Gateway investments create jobs, and through OP-VET interventions particularly for young people and women, employability can be improved and inequality reduced.  
  • Education sector: Vocational institutions gain improved capacity and closer ties with the private sector, ensuring training programs are up-to-date and market-relevant. 
  • Private sector: Businesses benefit from tailored training that provides them with a skilled workforce, boosting productivity and growth. 
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  • Improving employability: The project aims to enhance the employability of youth, women, and vulnerable groups by developing vocational education to meet real market needs. 
  • Skills development linked to investments: OP-VET supports Africa-Europe investment initiatives, ensuring vocational education produces professionals that meet the needs of these investments. 
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Technical Assistance: OP-VET provides targeted expert assistance to ensure that a skilled workforce is available for jobs created by European and African investments. This support includes analyzing labor markets, offering recommendations for developing training programs, and enhancing the capabilities of trainers. 

Public-private partnerships and regional exchange: The project actively promotes cooperation between the public and private sectors, especially through regional forums. The aim is to create sustainable partnerships that support demand-driven vocational education. 

Competitive funding mechanism: OP-VET organizes funding calls for projects focused on developing regional and cross-border value chains. This financial instrument supports, for example, training programs and pilot initiatives that develop value chains to meet the workforce needs of the green transition and other Global Gateway priority areas. 

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