Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) in Sub-Saharan Africa: Overview and integration within broader agricultural knowledge and innovation systems

By Richard Hawkins
January 2021

Executive Summary
Agricultural production and employment opportunities in the agri-food sector in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are not keeping up with the demands resulting from population growth. Nor are education systems yet sufficiently developing the technical, entrepreneurial and life skills needed for an attractive, vibrant and remunerative agri-food sector.
This report looks at efforts in the region to develop and implement agricultural, technical, vocational education and training (ATVET). It does this by reviewing TVET and ATVET policies, the institutional landscape and experience in the region and selected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda) and Europe (the Netherlands). Key policies and changes relating to the regulation of ATVET institutions and their programmes, and the introduction of competency-based education and training (CBET) in SSA are reviewed.
To complement this information, a number of case studies were commissioned from these countries to illustrate some of the challenges faced and successes achieved by individual ATVET institutes in implementing these policies and integrating practical education in agri-food systems within the broader “agricultural innovation system”.
Based on this review at regional, national and local levels, a number of conclusions – or more accurately – propositions, are postulated. Based on these propositions, opportunities to support ATVET are identified, with a particular focus on ways in which countries such as the Netherlands can support indigenous efforts to promote ATVET in SSA. These propositions and opportunities include:

1. National Policies and the legal framework for (formal) TVET and ATVET are increasingly in place in many SSA countries, but the implementation of these policies is proving complex, and is yet to be effective.

• Continue support to the implementation, review and reflection of ATVET policies at continental, national, decentralized and organizational levels. This includes measures to establish governance and regulatory structures, develop occupational standards, CBET curricula, human resources, etc.

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