Collaboration between technical training institutions and industry is strengthening the link between skills and jobs under the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP), a regional initiative financed by the World Bank and the governments of Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania.
At Holeta Polytechnic College in Ethiopia, students enrolled in livestock-related programmes can now spend part of their training at the Ethiopian Livestock Institute, gaining hands-on experience in animal production, breeding and feed management.
The partnership is structured around a cooperative training model in which learning is shared between the institution and the workplace. Students apply theoretical knowledge in real production environments, while industry professionals contribute to training supervision and assessment.
“Employers have often said graduates lack practical experience,” Mulugeta Abera, Dean said Holeta Polytechnic College. “By working directly with industry, we are closing that gap and preparing students for real jobs,” he said.
The collaboration also includes industry attachments for instructors, allowing trainers to update their technical skills and keep pace with changing technologies. Upon returning to the classroom, trainers integrate workplace practices into teaching, helping align curricula with industry standards.
Under the cooperative training framework, assessments are jointly conducted by training institutions and industry partners. Officials say this shared approach strengthens the credibility of certification and increases employer confidence in TVET graduates.
Beyond training delivery, the partnerships extend to curriculum review, innovation and technology transfer, as well as support for graduate job placement. By leveraging existing industry facilities and expertise, institutions reduce training costs while improving quality, according to project officials.
Skills mismatches and youth unemployment remain major challenges across East Africa, despite growing demand for skilled labour in sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and energy. EASTRIP aims to address these issues by promoting demand-driven training systems and stronger links between education and the labour market.
By Dawit Tadese, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Holeta Polytechnic College
