The development of the African workforce is at a critical moment. Wage employment in the modern sector is largely stagnant, with those unable to find these jobs left to pursue self-employment in the informal sector. Unemployment among urban youth is substantial and increasing. Much of the impact of HIV/AIDS has fallen on the educated and the skilled. What can African governments do to ensure that the workplace skills needed for growth and equity are taught and developed in a cost-effective way? Skills Development in Sub-Saharan Africa provides r elevant and useful knowledge that should help African leaders and donor agencies find answers to this question. An update of a World Bank Policy Paper on technical and vocational education and training (TVET), this review assesses a decade's progress on TVET development and reform. The study puts into an African context the Bank's earlier work on TVET, explores issues and recent developments, and reviews recent literature and policy studies. Without being prescriptive, the book provides a comprehensive review of the challenges facing skills development in Africa today and the lessons learned over the past decade. Based upon 14 thematic studie s covering 20 countries and 70 case studies, the volume provides a good starting point for the development of country policies and programs, including a strategic role for governments. The wealth of information specific to training in Africa should be of value not only to African leaders but also to countries in other regions that are facing similar challenges. Skills Development in Sub-Saharan Africa will be of great interest to policymakers, leaders, and international donors with a stake in skills development in the region.
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