Continental virtual conference on skills anticipation and matching in Africa

A virtual continental conference will be held from 15 to 17 September 2021 to raise awareness on the strategic role that skills anticipation and matching can play in guiding labour market actors to identify and address future skills needs to avoid potential skills gaps. It is being held under the ambit of the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA) Programme, together with the Africa Union Commission and African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) with ILO technical support. The SIFA Programme receives financial support from the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

News | 09 September 2021
Contact(s): ILO Harare Office Tel +2634369806-12 Email: harare@lo.org
HARARE (ILO News) The ILO, together with the Skills Initiative for Africa (SIFA) Programme, the Africa Union Commission, and African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), will be holding an Africa wide virtual conference on Skills Anticipation from 15 to17 September 2021.

The overall objective of the conference is to raise awareness on the strategic role that skills anticipation and matching can play in guiding labour market actors to systematically identify and address future skills needs to avoid potential skills gaps. Its ultimate objective is to help African Member States to position structured skills anticipation and matching, as one of the continent’s tools for achieving the Agenda 2063 aspiration for an “Africa whose development is people-driven, and which relies on the potential of its people”.

The ILO will provide technical support to the virtual Conference, which will bring together policy makers and labour market actors to discuss challenges that African countries face in addressing the persistent imbalances between the demand and the supply of skills on the continent.


Part of the highlights of the conference include a keynote address on the concept of skills anticipation by Mr. Srinivas Reddy, ILO Chief, SKILLS Unit, and a context setting panel discussion featuring high profile discussants from African member states. There will also be two thematic discussions on the skills implications of the impact of COVID 19 on African labour markets. Discussions will also be held on how the countries can strengthen their labour market information and skills anticipation systems to ensure more responsive skills development.


An innovative virtual fair, where countries, programmes and organizations will show case skills development related good practice and knowledge products will feature as the pre-conference event on 15 September 2021 and will run until 16 September 2021. The virtual fair will be an opportunity for skills development practitioners and key stakeholders on the African labour market to network, share experiences and explore possibilities for collaboration.
In the Zimbabwe Virtual Booth, work will be showcased on greening the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curricula; skills development for green jobs and sustainable enterprises development. There will also be a session to unpack the findings of the 2021 Zimbabwe Labour Market Diagnostic Analysis, which mapped out the key structural factors related to the creation of and access to decent and productive jobs.

This continental conference and the broader capacity building work under the ILO supported skills anticipation component of the SIFA Programme is a stepping-stone towards much needed labour market systems strengthening efforts aimed at improving evidence-based skills policy and strategies development and implementation in Africa.

Meeting Details

  • To attend the Conference, register here
  • Simultaneous interpretation in English and French will be available.