Addis Ababa, August 23, 2022 (FBC) –Ethiopia participated in the first World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference held in the northern coastal city of Tianjin from August 18–20, 2022, with the theme of “Vocational and Technical Education Development in the Post Pandemic Era-New Changes, New Ways and New Skills.”
Opening the conference with his congratulatory letter, H.E President Xi Jinping said, “Technical and vocational education and training are closely associated with the socio-economic development of a country and noted its significance in boosting entrepreneurship and improving people’s livelihood.
Muferiat Kamil, Minister of Labor and Skills, delivered a virtual address to the participants, noting that the Ethiopian government, recognizing the importance of Technical and Vocational Education and Training for the country’s overall socioeconomic development, has developed institutional and legal policy frameworks and made developing the sector a priority.
She added that Luban Workshop Ethiopia, which was launched in 2021 in partnership with Tianjin University of Technology and Education and the Ethiopian Federal Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institute, is serving the country as a center of excellence in the sector and that its training modules are all at international standard levels.
Teshale Berecha, Director General of the Federal Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institute, on his part, highlighted the importance of technical and vocational education and training in creating job opportunities and poverty reduction during his virtual presentation and reassured the participants that the institute will continue further strengthening its partnership with the Tianjin University of Technology and Education.
While representing the embassy at the conference, Ambassador Teshome Toga held sideline talks with high-level Tianjin city officials and media personalities, noting that Luban Workshop Ethiopia is providing high-end technical skills training to young Ethiopians and assisting them in meeting the skills requirements of the country’s market demand.
The launching of the International Vocational Education Award, the establishing of the World Technical and Vocational Education Training League, and the launching of The Tianjin Initiative proposals were also announced during the conference, where 700 government and non-governmental participants attended the event both offline and online.