ETHIOPIA: Don Bosco Tech Africa jointly holds conference on empowering youth through green technical and vocational training
Conference includes focus on ‘green transition’ needed
ETHIOPIA
(MissionNewswire) Don Bosco Tech Africa and the African Union Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation jointly held a pan-African continental conference at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia*.
The theme of the conference was “Empowering Africa’s Youth through Harmonized and Strengthened TVET Systems for Sustainable Development.” TVET is technical and vocational education and training. The three-day conference brought together more than a hundred policymakers, TVET regulators, practitioners, development partners and private-sector actors.
The second day of the conference saw a special focus on the “green transition” that technical and vocational education and training need to undertake across the African continent. Father Savio Silveira, representing the Don Bosco Green Alliance, began his keynote address by highlighting the triple planetary crisis — climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss — which are largely driven by unsustainable production and consumption, as well as the overextraction of natural resources.
He advocated for a shift from harmful industrial systems and an exploitative economy toward a green economy. The United Nations Environment Program defines a green economy as “one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.”
Fr. Silveira explained, “This is not about restricting production, development or growth. Rather, it is about reimagining production, reshaping development, and redefining growth through responsible production, sustainable development, and green growth.” He further pointed out that TVET could offer a threefold pathway toward the transition to a green economy through green skills, innovation and entrepreneurship.
A Salesian noted, “While green skills help prepare a workforce for green industries, green innovation empowers students to create the next generation of green solutions, and green entrepreneurship enables innovators to bring those solutions to the market and create jobs.”
He added, “As Africa stands at a defining moment, where the urgency of economic transformation meets the imperative of environmental sustainability, technical and vocational education and training has the power to be a game-changer. With the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, the continent possesses an unparalleled demographic advantage that can drive inclusive economic growth. By equipping young people with future-ready green skills and an innovation mindset, this training can help bridge the continent’s skills gap, accelerate the green economy and transform environmental challenges into opportunities for prosperity and resilience.”
Don Bosco Tech Africa is playing a critical role in building the future of Africa’s green economy. The conference, organized by Don Bosco Tech Africa in collaboration with the African Union, with the support of Don Bosco Mondo in Germany, is a step on the pathway toward a green transition.
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Photo courtesy of Don Bosco Green Alliance
Don Bosco Green Alliance – Don Bosco Tech Africa Conference calls for Green Transition
