ILO trains 32 TVET trainers on core employability skills in demand in the private and public sectors in Ethiopia
Under the Global Programme on Skills and Lifelong Learning (GPSL3), the ILO Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan organised a five-day Training of Trainers (ToT) in Bishoftu, Ethiopia, from 28 February to 4 March 2022.
21 April 2022
The main objective of the ToT was to introduce ILO’s Global framework on core skills for life and work in the 21st century, which reiterates the global demand from the private and public sectors for increased acquisition of core employability skills of the workforce. The global drivers of change influencing the world of work and core skills in Ethiopia were also mentioned. TVET and University experts then examined how to embed core skills into technical qualifications and programmes to make learning more demand-oriented, hence closing the skills gap in several industrial sectors. Experts attending the ToT are expected to be responsible for training youth as well as cascading the course’ content down to fellow training experts within their institutions.
A total of 32 highly experienced and qualified TVET trainers, University lecturers, Deans and members of the newly formed Ministry of Labour and Skills attended the training. The training was led by Jayne Norman, an International Core Skills Specialist, and Alemayehu Zewdie, ILO’s National Project Coordinator for the Global Programme on Skills and Lifelong Learning (GPSL3) in Ethiopia.
On the first day, participants familiarised with the definition of core skills, their areas of application and how these skills are crucial to the world of work and highly demanded by the global and national public and private sectors. Jayne presented the Global framework on core skills and the global drivers of change within the Ethiopian industrial sectors. She introduced participatory and learner-centred methods and approaches to teaching core skills, with trainers taking an active role in hands-on activities to put in practice a range of core skills. The day ended with a session on effective core skills assessments.
The second day began with a team-building activity, which explored key core skills, such as planning and organising, collaboration and teamwork and effective communication. To call these skills into action, participants were asked to build the tallest tower possible with strands of spaghetti, marshmallows, and Sellotape in small groups. With this simple team exercise, team members were encouraged to collaborate, problem solve and to use design thinking. They realised how important it was to embed core skills within teaching and learning and to make the skills experiential and learner-centred. Jayne also gave a detailed overview of ILO’ pre-employment programme on Core Skills in the Garment Sector in Ethiopia, providing a solid example of how these could be contextualised to a particular industry. Finally, Alemayehu provided an overview of the plans to establish Sector Skills Councils at the national level, and how they would improve the skills supply and make skills acquisition more demand-driven.
The third day started with a session on the identification of key core skills for industries and the possible ways to embed them into curricula. In the afternoon, participants worked in small groups to plan the delivery of a training session that embedded core skills within various technical areas. The day was punctuated with energizers and practical activities to keep motivation and group participation high.
On the fourth day, participant finalised their plans and learned how to train youth as well as to transfer the takeaways and learnings from the ToT to fellow training experts within their institutions. The different groups were asked to deliver their core skills training sessions to other, while receiving constructive feedback from the master trainers and their peers.
The last day concluded with the delivery of the remaining core skills training sessions. To conclude the training, Jayne explained how to give effective feedback to peers and to provide intermediate learning steps for trainees.
The training of trainers was highly participative, practical and greatly appreciated by the 32 participants. Very supportive of each other, they were able to network, make new professional contacts and even friends among the group. Since the training ended, participants exchange regularly on WhatsApp to share experiences and photos and will continue to stay in touch to provide support for the gradual introduction of core skills within their respective institutions.
A total of 32 highly experienced and qualified TVET trainers, University lecturers, Deans and members of the newly formed Ministry of Labour and Skills attended the training. The training was led by Jayne Norman, an International Core Skills Specialist, and Alemayehu Zewdie, ILO’s National Project Coordinator for the Global Programme on Skills and Lifelong Learning (GPSL3) in Ethiopia.
On the first day, participants familiarised with the definition of core skills, their areas of application and how these skills are crucial to the world of work and highly demanded by the global and national public and private sectors. Jayne presented the Global framework on core skills and the global drivers of change within the Ethiopian industrial sectors. She introduced participatory and learner-centred methods and approaches to teaching core skills, with trainers taking an active role in hands-on activities to put in practice a range of core skills. The day ended with a session on effective core skills assessments.
The second day began with a team-building activity, which explored key core skills, such as planning and organising, collaboration and teamwork and effective communication. To call these skills into action, participants were asked to build the tallest tower possible with strands of spaghetti, marshmallows, and Sellotape in small groups. With this simple team exercise, team members were encouraged to collaborate, problem solve and to use design thinking. They realised how important it was to embed core skills within teaching and learning and to make the skills experiential and learner-centred. Jayne also gave a detailed overview of ILO’ pre-employment programme on Core Skills in the Garment Sector in Ethiopia, providing a solid example of how these could be contextualised to a particular industry. Finally, Alemayehu provided an overview of the plans to establish Sector Skills Councils at the national level, and how they would improve the skills supply and make skills acquisition more demand-driven.
The third day started with a session on the identification of key core skills for industries and the possible ways to embed them into curricula. In the afternoon, participants worked in small groups to plan the delivery of a training session that embedded core skills within various technical areas. The day was punctuated with energizers and practical activities to keep motivation and group participation high.
On the fourth day, participant finalised their plans and learned how to train youth as well as to transfer the takeaways and learnings from the ToT to fellow training experts within their institutions. The different groups were asked to deliver their core skills training sessions to other, while receiving constructive feedback from the master trainers and their peers.
The last day concluded with the delivery of the remaining core skills training sessions. To conclude the training, Jayne explained how to give effective feedback to peers and to provide intermediate learning steps for trainees.
The training of trainers was highly participative, practical and greatly appreciated by the 32 participants. Very supportive of each other, they were able to network, make new professional contacts and even friends among the group. Since the training ended, participants exchange regularly on WhatsApp to share experiences and photos and will continue to stay in touch to provide support for the gradual introduction of core skills within their respective institutions.