• Strategy targets curriculum reform, teacher skills, infrastructure and online learning tools
  
  
• Strategy aligns with SDG 4 and aims to boost youth employment and digital readiness
  

Guinea has approved its National Strategy for the Digital Transformation of Technical and Vocational Education and Training. The 300 billion Guinean franc (34.5 million dollar) plan was adopted at a workshop in Conakry hosted by the Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training. It aims to modernize the country’s technical and vocational training system.

The strategy is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 on quality education. It seeks to make technical education a key driver of employment and entrepreneurship. Its priorities include updating training programs, adapting curricula to labor market needs, improving digital infrastructure and connectivity, and closing the skills gap among teachers.

According to the ministry, the funding will be used to strengthen digital infrastructure, equip training institutions, train teachers and deploy online learning platforms. The plan forms part of Guinea’s 2035 development vision, which aims to build a strong digital ecosystem that can support technical education over the long term. Regionally, Guinea is contributing to a pan-African initiative to digitize technical education in order to align approaches and share funding and expertise across countries.

The approval comes as Africa’s labor market is rapidly changing with rising demand for digital skills. The Brookings Institution’s report “Foresight Africa 2025-2030” estimates that 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital competencies by 2030. It also anticipates up to 650 million training opportunities, which represent a potential market of 130 billion dollars.

The successful implementation of Guinea’s strategy will depend on several factors. These include securing the necessary funding, strengthening governance, improving teacher training in digital tools and ensuring the availability of essential infrastructure such as reliable electricity and high-speed internet in rural areas.

If fully implemented, the strategy could expand access to professional training, modernize technical programs, increase youth employability and strengthen the country’s competitiveness in a rapidly digitalizing economy. Youth unemployment remains particularly high in Guinea and is estimated at nearly 60 percent according to national statistics.

Samira Njoya