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Swisscontact, through its PropelA Dual Apprenticeship Programme, participated in the Regional Conference on Quality Skills Development and Apprenticeship Systems, held from 14–16 May 2025 in Mombasa, Kenya. Themed “Transforming Apprenticeship Systems in the Informal Economy for Youth Employability in Africa,” the event brought together policymakers, donors, development partners, and training institutions from across the continent to explore bold solutions for skilling young people for the current and future workforce.
The forum provided a platform for peer learning, with countries such as Nigeria, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Namibia sharing innovations in skills development and apprenticeship systems. Global actors including the International Labour Organization, African Development Bank Group, African Union, and UNIDO emphasized the need for sustainable, market-driven models to prepare youth for decent work, especially within the informal economy, as traditional aid declines.
Key government agencies were present, including Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection, Dr. Alfred Mutua, who emphasized the need for quality training systems that eliminate the need for retraining and directly align with workforce demands for decent jobs and incomes.
Now in its third year, the programme reflects effective co-investment among development partners (Hilti Foundation and Geberit AG), over 40 private companies, training institutions such as Don Bosco Boys Town, and the Government through the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA). PropelA demonstrates how public-private partnerships can unlock sustainable financing and scalable impact in skills training.
Jimmy Delyon, Programme Delivery Lead at Swisscontact, shared key lessons from PropelA’s implementation:
Swisscontact also moderated a high-level panel on global best practices in skills development, drawing on over 60 years of experience delivering private sector-led, market-oriented solutions across diverse economies. The panel focused on three critical pillars: sustainability, technological innovation, and market relevance.
A recurring theme was the importance of embedding skills development within national policies, aligning with local economic realities, and ensuring strong public-private collaboration. Panelists stressed the value of co-designing training with employers, identifying suitable institutional partners, and creating incentives for private sector participation.
The role of government was also spotlighted—supporting inclusive training, enabling formalization of informal work, and ensuring economic policies facilitate skills growth. Outcome-focused metrics like employability, income gains, and return of investment were cited as key to guiding policy and investment.
It was clear that Africa’s future workforce needs solutions that are market-driven, scalable, and built on strong public-private collaboration. Even as PropelA looks to expand into other trades in high-demand sectors and replicate the model across African countries, the conference marked a key moment to begin extending its reach beyond Kenya’s borders. It also reinforced a growing movement across the continent—one that sees employer-led dual apprenticeships as a game-changing solution for youth employability. Swisscontact’s leadership in this space continues to position it at the forefront of shaping national and regional policy discourse on private sector-driven skills systems.
We remain committed to scaling sustainable apprenticeship models that equip African youth with the skills and mindsets needed to succeed in the future economy.