How Africa can bridge the gap between training and jobs

Across Africa, many young people struggle to turn training into real opportunities for decent work, while employers often say they cannot find the skills they need. So how can skills systems better connect learning with the realities of the workplace? And what role can employers, workers and governments play in closing that gap?

In this episode of the ILO’s Future of Work podcast, Albert Rukeisa of the Association of Tanzania Employers and Priyadarshini Gupta of the Mauritius Trade Union Congress discuss how work-based learning can help build stronger pathways from training to employment. Ahead of Africa Skills Week 2026 in Harare, they explore what makes apprenticeships effective, why employers and workers both need a voice in shaping skills systems, and how AI is changing the skills people need to succeed in a rapidly evolving world of work.