Regional conference
Africa Skills Week 2026
The International Labour Organization (ILO) will participate and play an active role in Africa Skills Week 2026, to be held in Harare, Zimbabwe, from 12–16 October 2026, contributing its global expertise in skills development, employment, and lifelong learning. As a long-standing partner of the African Union and its Member States, the ILO will support high-level policy dialogue and technical exchanges on strengthening skills systems that respond to labour market needs and drive inclusive, sustainable industrial transformation.
Objective of the ASW 2026
Africa Skills Week 2026 is proposed as a continental implementation platform for accelerating Africa’s skills, employability, productivity and industrial transformation agenda. Convened under the theme “Skills for Resilient and Competitive African Industries: From Training to Value Creation,” the 2026 edition will be hosted by the Republic of Zimbabwe in Harare. It will bring together African Union Member States, Regional Economic Communities, industry, training institutions, youth, women entrepreneurs, workers’ and employers’ organizations, development partners, research institutions, civil society and the media to advance practical action on skills development.
The overall goal of Africa Skills Week 2026 is to advance skills development as a catalyst for resilient and competitive African industries, productivity, decent job creation, lifelong learning and sustainable economic transformation.
Participants
Africa Skills Week 2026 will convene a broad coalition of stakeholders whose mandates intersect with skills, employment, productivity, inclusion and industrial development. Participation will be mobilized by the African Union Commission in collaboration with Regional Economic Communities and the host Member State.