EASTRIP Creating Regional Integration in TVET Sector in East Africa

Addis Ababa July 19/2021 (ENA) East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project being carried out in collaboration with the World Bank has been creating conducive environment for an enhanced regional partnership in the area technical and vocational trainings, Project Coordinator said.

EASTRIP is a regional flagship project by the World Bank launched in 2019 in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya to improve quality, access and relevance of the TVET for economic development.

It was indicated that the World Bank has allocated about 293 million USD through grant and credit for this 5 years project.

Technical Advisory Teams of Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya have today begun discussing on the implementation process of the project in Addis Ababa.

During the opening of the meeting Project Coordinator Cosam Joseph told ENA that the project is creating regional integration between the three countries in the field of TVET.

“It is bringing the TVET sector of the three countries together. That is the main success of the project. Now we are speaking the same language on how to improve and develop the sector for the benefits of the three countries in a bid to help strengthen their economies”, he said.

The Coordinator added that besides strengthening the regional integration the project has also been contributing the sector in terms of capacity building in terms of ICT, infrastructure and facilities vital  to create training centers  that provide qualified trainings.

TVET Director at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education Martha Wolde said that the project is running in seven selected TVET centers in Ethiopia focusing on capacity building aimed at enhancing the quality and access of the training centers so as to enable them provide the appropriate contribution for the economic activities of the country.

She said that the project supports TVET education in manufacturing, Transport, ICT agriculture and energy sectors.

According to her, as per the objectives of the project efforts will be made in the long run to establish centers of excellence in the TVET centers.  

“The centers chosen for the flagship project are selected based on studies and the overall progress of the project is going well. The selected centers have now lied foundations to establish center of excellence”, she said.

Technical teams of the three countries are discussing on the achievements made so far, challenges and way forwards of the project in their two days deliberation.