There is an acute need to continuously align skills imparted to young people through education systems across Africa to labour market demands.

This was observed Wednesday at a forum in Kigali that attracted stakeholders involved with an agricultural initiative that seeks to empower African youth with hands-on skills that are in high demand on the labour market.

Participants, drawn from nine African countries where the Agribusiness Hub Program is active, shared best experiences and highlighted lessons with a view to make recommendations to relevant authorities on measures to significantly improve youth employability and entrepreneurship.

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Both Chantal Ingabire, Director General for Planning at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, and Hisham Zehni, Lead Technical Specialist for Youth and Social Inclusion at International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), acknowledge the need for African countries to urgently work towards bridging the skills gap between labour market needs and school curricula.

Zahni underlined the importance of keeping curricula up to date and aligned with emerging realities in the labour market, including imparting skills in digital technologies, e-commerce, digital marketing, cutting edge agricultural technologies, among others.

He said relevant training programmes would see the youth acquire skills that are needed in their communities, thus helping reduce migration to larger cities.

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"We are working to make sure that training institutions, including TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) centres, universities and agriculture high schools, have the right curricula and also provide practical training to the rural youth so they can ultimately join the job market with the required skills, and be able to enhance the productivity of the companies in which they will be employed,” he said.

He added: "Through harnessing the power of social media and e-commerce, they (the youth) are shaping the future of entrepreneurship, agriculture, and beyond. It&039;s not merely about selling products but about empowering more young minds to innovate and redefine what's possible.”

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On her part, Ingabire said, "reflecting on our journey so far, we see gaps in our reach and opportunities. Through collaboration and determination, we aim to extend our impact to every district, empowering rural youth with employment and skills in agriculture as the project now operates in only 16 districts in Rwanda."

By addressing capital and skills gaps, she said, "we empower young entrepreneurs to thrive, shaping a future where innovation and opportunity by equipping rural youth with the tools and knowledge needed to propel agriculture forward, fostering innovation and economic growth across communities.”

In Rwanda, the scheme is being implemented by Kilimo Trust Organisation, while BMZ and Visa Foundation also back the initiative on the continent.

The initiative has so far impacted some 25,000 youths across the nine countries over the past three years.

Participants also highlighted the need to promote youth involvement in the agriculture sector, calling for scaling of opportunities that allow young people to acquire to knowledge, skills and resources necessary to pursue careers and create opportunities in the sector. This, they said, would have a multiplier effect on countries’ economies and future aspirations.

Participants also paid a visit to the Integrated Polytechnic Regional College (IPRC Kigali) where some of the beneficiaries are studying.

Javiemu Mudaheranwa, from Ngoma District and currently pursuing a short course in air conditioning, refrigeration, and cold chain management at IPRC-Kigali, said the the scheme inspired him to focus on implementing his own cold chain project designed to preserve agricultural products across the value chain, thus ensuring quality and reducing losses.

"I need to implement my own cloud chain project to preserve agricultural produce from the moment of harvest until they reach the consumer. By managing the entire supply chain, I can prevent any leaks or issues that might result in delivering low-quality food to the consumer,” he said.

Mudaheranwa spoke of the importance of refrigeration in agriculture beyond milk storage, highlighting its critical role in preserving perishable products like vegetables and fruits through cold rooms and storage facilities.

He explained how a reliable cold chain can prevent product spoilage and ensure fresh produce reaches consumers, even when there's surplus production.

Justin Kangiraneza, a graduate specialised in vegetable growing and processing, said that the skills he acquired from the programme have helped him compete in the market.

"I came for an internship, and thanks to my skills the company offered me a job. I also gained more skills by working on the farm and applying what I was learning. It was a great experience. Additionally, as I continued to improve, I was given more tasks and got promoted, I can now compete effectively in the market,” he said.