Namibia

Towards a redefinition of employability for the Southern African region (regional)

Kind:

Event

Start Date:

25 Nov 2025

End Date:

04 Jun 2026

Event Location:

Online

EventType:

English

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english

Identifier

skpEng

Language Version:

Sources:

Experts from many international, regional and national agencies generously share their views, experiences and findings on skills, helping policy-makers among other stakeholders to understand the linkages between education, training and the world of work, and how to integrate skills into national development planning to promote employment and economic growth.

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skpOSource

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other-sources

Topics:

Rural employment

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Eight out of 10 of the world’s working poor who live on US $1.25 per day live in rural areas, where many are caught in vulnerable employment, especially in agriculture.Flourishing rural areas are vital to regional and national development. Yet, rural economies tend to face a wide range of challenges that urban areas are more likely to overcome. These include access to transportation, sanitation and health services, and a consumer base in close proximity to support small and medium enterprise development. Women and men working in rural areas also face difficulties associated with a paucity of economic opportunities, under investment, poor infrastructure and public services, including education, and, in many cases, weak governance and underdeveloped markets.

Education, entrepreneurship, and physical and social infrastructure all play an important role in developing rural regions. Skills are central to improving employability and livelihood opportunities, reducing poverty, enhancing productivity and promoting environmentally sustainable development.

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skpREmpl

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rural-employment

Youth employability

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Globally, nearly 68 million young women and men are looking for and available for work, and an estimated 123 million young people are working but living in poverty. The number who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) stands at 267 million, a majority of whom are young women. Significantly, young people are three times as likely as adults (25 years and older) to be unemployed.

Skills development is a primary means of enabling young people to make a smooth transition to work. A comprehensive approach is required to integrate young women and men in the labour market, including relevant and quality skills training, labour market information, career guidance and employment services, recognition of prior learning, incorporating entrepreneurship with training and effective skills forecasting. Improved basic education and core work skills are particularly important to enable youth to engage in lifelong learning as well as transition to the labour market.

Identifier

skpYoEmp

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youth-employability

Knowledge Products:

Join the Southern African region's exciting Global Careers Month event, building on the success of 2022!

This year's youth-driven programme is set to dive deep into the very definition of employability. We're moving beyond just finding a job to exploring the full spectrum of sustainable livelihoods, including creating employment, gig work, small-scale farming, and other forms of subsistence. Our goal is to craft a regional definition that encompasses people, profit, and planet, firmly embedding sustainability into the career education framework.

This vital event is generously supported by the EU Delegation of Eswatini and hosted by the National Curriculum Centre (NCC), a department of the Ministry of Education and Training which sees this as a crucial career education springboard for Eswatini's reform of the secondary education curriculum to a competency-based model. The EU Youth Sounding Board in Eswatini is driving the process, ensuring youth voices lead the deliberation to establish a final, impactful regional definition of employability, one that truly serves the needs and realities of the greater youth population. Mark your calendars for November 25th! More details to follow on shaping the future of careers in the region.

Time: 25 November 2025 at 9:00-10:00 CET

Place: Online (participation link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/36280163243023?p=n6qqwcmY78vPm8uo9f)

More information: https://www.sacda.org.za/news/SACDA-News-5

ZA_GCM2025_Southern_Africa_SACDA.pdf

Subject Tags:

Regions:

Africa

Region Image

Countries and territories:

Botswana

Comoros

Eswatini

Lesotho

Malawi

Mauritius

Mozambique

South Africa

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Economic groups:

A review of skills levy systems in countries of the Southern African Development Community

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															A review of skills levy systems in countries of the Southern African Development Community
													

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

ILO

The International Labour Organization is the tripartite U.N. agency that promotes Decent Work through employment, social security, labour standards and social dialogue. Its work on skills development is guided by the conceptual framework on Skills to improve productivity, employment growth, and development agreed in 2008 by representatives of Governments, Employers’ Associations and Workers’ Associations. Research, policy advice, and pilot projects and technical cooperation programmes to apply good practices in different circumstances across its 185 member States aims to boost the employability of workers, the productivity and competitiveness of enterprises, and the inclusiveness of economic growth. The ILO Secretariat in offices in 40 countries works with Ministries of Labour, employers’ organizations, and trade unions to integrate skills development into national and sector development strategies in order to better meet current labour market needs and to prepare for the jobs of the future; to expand access to employment-related training so that youth, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups are better able to acquire skills and secure productive and decent work; and to improve the ability of public employment services to provide career guidance, maintain labour exchange services, and deliver active labour market programmes.For more information regarding the ILO’s work on skills and employability go to: http://www.ilo.org/skills/lang--en/index.htm; for ILO/Cinterfor's Knowledge Management Plarform, see: http://www.oitcinterfor.org

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Identifier

skpILO

Slug

ilo

Topics:

Research papers

Working papers, reports, and other publications from international organizations, academic institutions and bilateral agencies. Research findings to stimulate informed debate on skills, employment and productivity issues.

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Identifier

skpRPS

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research-papers

Publication Date:

14 Aug 2020

Open

edmsp1_266224.pdf

This report details the findings of research into national training funds linked to employer levies in eight countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC): Botswana, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The report includes an international literature review of levy systems globally to inform the country research which involved secondary data analysis, an online survey, and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders in the eight countries involved. The research drew on the views of representatives from government, the organizations managing the training funds, workers’ organizations and employers’ organizations. The report makes high level recommendations on levy based training funds in general as well as for the eight national training funds reviewed which are documented through country briefs in Part B of this report.

The report was developed through a partnership between the ILO Skills & Employability Branch and the ILO Decent Work Team for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Subject Tags:

Employers

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employers

Identifier

672

Skills and training policy

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skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Regions:

Africa

Region Image

Countries and territories:

Botswana

Malawi

Mauritius

South Africa

United Republic of Tanzania

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Postal services & telecommunications sector skills plan

Type:

Document

Content Type:

Postal services & telecommunications sector skills plan

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Governments

Governments hold a wealth of knowledge on skills development, and are increasingly realizing the value of learning from each others’ experiences. Their policy documents, programme evaluations, and research findings contain their experience and ideas on how to better link skills to employment

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Identifier

skpGov

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governments

TVET institutions

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions play an important role in equipping young people to enter the world of work and in improving their employability throughout their careers. The Global KSP collects and shares information from TVET institutions on how they respond to changing labour market needs, adopt new training technologies, expand the outreach of their training, and improve the quality of their services including in the areas of governance, financing, teacher education, and industry partnerships.

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Identifier

skpTVET

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tvet-institutions

Topics:

Sectoral approaches

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Matching skills to labour market demand requires reliable sectoral and occupational information and institutions that connect employers with training providers. Sector based strategies and institutions have proved effective in engaging all stakeholders in promoting both pre-employment training and life-long learning.

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skpSectApr

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sectoral-approaches

Knowledge Products:

National policies and initiatives

National legislation, policies and initiatives on the issue of training and skills development and the world of work.

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Identifier

skpNatPol

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national-policies-and-initiatives

Publication Date:

28 Nov 2019

Open

wcmstest4_141053.pdf

The Postal Services and Telecommunications SSP is a ‘roadmap’ to address skills development priorities in the sector. It focuses on profiling the sector, identifying skills in demand, analysing supply-side education and training provision, determining skills priorities and putting together an action plan for improving the skills profile of the workforce.

The SSP serves as a guiding framework for the Namibia Training Authority, employers, trade unions, training providers, public entities, civil society, international partners and local communities to spell out the priorities for upskilling workers in the sector.

Subject Tags:

Industry skills councils

Slug

industry-skills-councils

Identifier

646

Postal services

Slug

postal-services

Identifier

238

Sectoral approaches

Slug

sectoral-approaches

Identifier

676

Skills and training policy

Slug

skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Skills indicators

Slug

skills-indicators

Identifier

653

Skills mismatch

Slug

skills-mismatch

Identifier

654

Telecommunications

Slug

telecommunications

Identifier

242

Regions:

Africa

Region Image

Countries and territories:

Skills for green jobs: Occupational changes in the green economy

Type:

Document

Content Type:

Skills for green jobs: Occupational changes in the green economy

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

ILO

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Identifier

skpILO

Slug

ilo

Topics:

Training quality and relevance

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Identifier

skpTrainQR

Slug

training-quality-and-relevance

Knowledge Products:

Promotional material

Presentations, discussion papers, meeting reports, promotional materials, videos, fact sheets, brochures and newsletters on skills development for employment.

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Identifier

skpAIM

Slug

promotional-material

Publication Date:

06 Oct 2016

Open

wcmstest4_182897.pdf

This fact sheet analyses the potential occupational changes from a transition towards a green economy in Namibia.

Subject Tags:

Green jobs

Slug

green-jobs

Identifier

623

Green skills

Slug

green-skills

Identifier

645

Occupational qualification

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occupational-qualification

Identifier

409

Skills and training policy

Slug

skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Regions:

Africa

Region Image

Countries and territories:

Review of Agricultural Technical Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) in Africa - Best practices from Benin, Ethiopia, Namibia and Sierra Leone

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															Review of Agricultural Technical Vocational Education and Training (ATVET) in Africa - Best practices from Benin, Ethiopia, Namibia and Sierra Leone
													

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Bilateral organizations

The development agencies of many countries make skills development a pillar of their Official Development Assistance – from the perspective of education systems, employment promotion, poverty reduction, and private sector development. Documentation of their experience, evaluations and impact assessments, mission statements, and other knowledge products are made available through the Global KSP.

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Identifier

skpBiOrg

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bilateral-organizations

Topics:

Access to training

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Access for all to good quality education, vocational training and workplace learning is a fundamental principle of social cohesion and economic growth. Some groups of people may require targeted attention if they are to benefit from education, training and employment opportunities.

This is particularly the case for disadvantaged youth, lower skilled workers, people with disabilities, and people in rural communities. The attractiveness of vocational education and training is enhanced when combined with entrepreneurship training and when public policies encourage utilization of higher skills by business.

Identifier

skpATSU

Slug

access-to-training

Anticipating and matching skills needs

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Anticipating and building skills for the future is essential to a rapidly changing labour market. This applies to changes in the types and levels of skills needed as well as in occupational and technical areas. Effective methods to anticipate future skills needs and avoid potential mismatches include: sustained dialogue between employers and trainers, coordination across government institutions, labour market information systems, employment services and performance reviews of training institutions.

Identifier

skpAFSN

Slug

anticipating-and-matching-skills-needs

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

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Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Publication Date:

11 Nov 2015

Open

wcmstest4_156462.pdf

Within the overall Programme to “Support Pan-African Reform Processes in Agricultural Development (NEPAD/CAADP)”, supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), a new project called “Promotion of Technical Vocational Education and Training for the Agricultural Sector in Africa (ATVET)” has been launched by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordination Agency (NPCA) and the CAADP-Secretariat in 2012.

In order to review existing ATVET activities, to identify best practices and to provide recommendations for further implementation of the GIZ/NPCA ATVET project, four countries were selected for a stocktaking exercise: Benin, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Namibia. As an outcome of this review, a number of opportunities and best practices and also gaps in the ATVET system in the four countries, were identified. This brochure summarises the findings of the study.

Subject Tags:

Agribusiness

Slug

agribusiness

Identifier

223

Agricultural development

Slug

agricultural-development

Identifier

224

Low skilled workers

Slug

low-skilled-workers

Identifier

650

Skills and training policy

Slug

skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Skills upgrading

Slug

skills-upgrading

Identifier

657

Regions:

Africa

Region Image

Countries and territories:

Benin

Ethiopia

Sierra Leone

Namibia: Health and social services Sector Skills Plan

Type:

Document

Content Type:

Namibia: Health and social services Sector Skills Plan

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Governments

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Identifier

skpGov

Slug

governments

TVET institutions

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Identifier

skpTVET

Slug

tvet-institutions

Topics:

Sectoral approaches

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Identifier

skpSectApr

Slug

sectoral-approaches

Knowledge Products:

National policies and initiatives

National legislation, policies and initiatives on the issue of training and skills development and the world of work.

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Identifier

skpNatPol

Slug

national-policies-and-initiatives

Publication Date:

30 Apr 2015

Open

wcmstest4_140854.pdf

The health and social services sector skills plan is a “roadmap” to address skills development priorities in the sector. It focuses on profiling the sector, identifying skills in demand, analysing supply side education and training provision, determining skills priorities and putting together an action plan for improving the skills profile of the workforce. The SSP serves as a guiding framework for the NTA, employers, trade unions, training providers, public entities, civil society, international partners and local communities to spell out the priorities for up skilling workers in the H&SS sector.

Subject Tags:

Industry skills councils

Slug

industry-skills-councils

Identifier

646

Sectoral approaches

Slug

sectoral-approaches

Identifier

676

Skills and training policy

Slug

skills-and-training-policy

Identifier

666

Skills indicators

Slug

skills-indicators

Identifier

653

Skills mismatch

Slug

skills-mismatch

Identifier

654

Social services

Slug

social-services

Identifier

405

Regions:

Africa

Region Image

Countries and territories:

Namibia: Vocational Education and Training Act, 2008

Type:

Document

Content Type:

Namibia: Vocational Education and Training Act, 2008

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Governments

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Identifier

skpGov

Slug

governments

Topics:

Access to training

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Identifier

skpATSU

Slug

access-to-training

Financing of training

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Initial education and training and lifelong learning benefit individuals, employers and society as a whole. Economic principles dictate that the costs for services with public and private benefits should be shared between public and private funding, or else too little training will be provided or taken up. Effective mechanisms for financing skills development vary according to countries’ economic and political circumstances and the degree and level of social dialogue established.

Identifier

skpFinanT

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financing-training

Participation of employers' and workers' organizations

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The world of learning and the world of work are separate but linked. While one involves learning, the other produces goods and services. Neither can thrive without the other. Strong partnerships between government, employers and workers help ensure the relevance of training to the changing needs of enterprises and labour markets.

Identifier

skpPSP

Slug

participation-of-employers-and-workers-organizations

Training quality and relevance

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Identifier

skpTrainQR

Slug

training-quality-and-relevance

Knowledge Products:

National policies and initiatives

National legislation, policies and initiatives on the issue of training and skills development and the world of work.

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Identifier

skpNatPol

Slug

national-policies-and-initiatives

Publication Date:

30 Aug 2013

Open

wcmstest4_072445.pdf

Vocational Education and Training Act has the following objectives:

1. to achieve an effective and sustainable system of skills formation that (i) is aligned with the labour market; (ii) provides the skills that are needed for accelerated development; (iii) develops the competencies needed by young people for productive work and increased standards of living; and (iv) promotes access, equity and quality in vocational education and training;
2. to establish a stable organisation and management system that clarifies roles in and responsibilities for vocational education and training and which is accountable to Parliament through the Minister;
3. to establish and maintain a sustainable partnership between government, the private sector and civil society to resource the provision of vocational education and training.

The Act establishes the Namibia Training Authority to regulate the provision of vocational education and training and to provide for the funding of vocational education and training; the imposition of a vocational education and training levy; the appointment of inspectors and designation of quality system auditors.

Subject Tags:

Competency

Slug

competency

Identifier

641

Financing training

Slug

financing-training

Identifier

673

Private sector

Slug

private-sector

Identifier

229

Skills recognition

Slug

skills-recognition

Identifier

656

Vocational training

Slug

vocational-training

Identifier

124

Regions:

Africa

Region Image

Countries and territories:

Namibia Vocational Education Training Policy 2005

Type:

Document

Content Type:

Namibia Vocational Education Training Policy 2005

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

Governments

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Identifier

skpGov

Slug

governments

Topics:

Access to training

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Identifier

skpATSU

Slug

access-to-training

Financing of training

Thumbnail

Identifier

skpFinanT

Slug

financing-training

Participation of employers' and workers' organizations

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Identifier

skpPSP

Slug

participation-of-employers-and-workers-organizations

Training quality and relevance

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Identifier

skpTrainQR

Slug

training-quality-and-relevance

Knowledge Products:

National policies and initiatives

National legislation, policies and initiatives on the issue of training and skills development and the world of work.

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Identifier

skpNatPol

Slug

national-policies-and-initiatives

Publication Date:

30 Aug 2013

Open

wcmstest4_072245.pdf

The document seeks to establish an effective and efficient Vocational Education and Training system, responsive to industry and community needs. Among the priority areas of the policy are: engaging private sector in training; establishment of the Namibia Training Authority to coordinate the development and implementation of a flexible competence-based VET system based on the Namibia Qualifications Framework; introduction of reforms to the financing of skills development through the establishment of a training levy; expansion of the number of student places and improvement of facilities in training institutions; curriculum reform; and improved access to certification and qualifications through streamlining arrangements for the recognition of prior learning.

Subject Tags:

Competency

Slug

competency

Identifier

641

Financing training

Slug

financing-training

Identifier

673

Private sector

Slug

private-sector

Identifier

229

Skills recognition

Slug

skills-recognition

Identifier

656

Vocational training

Slug

vocational-training

Identifier

124

Regions:

Africa

Region Image

Countries and territories:

Education, employment and barriers for young people with disabilities in southern Africa

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															Education, employment and barriers for young people with disabilities in southern Africa
													

Language:

Sources:

Information is gathered from other international organizations that promote skills development and the transition from education and training to work. The Interagency Group on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (IAG-TVET) was established in 2009 to share research findings, coordinate joint research endeavours, and improve collaboration among organizations working at the international and national levels.

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Identifier

skpIntOrg

Slug

international-organizations

Topics:

People with disabilities

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Of an estimated 1 billion people with disabilities in the world today, some 785 million are of working age. While many are successfully employed and fully integrated into society, most face a disproportionate level of poverty and unemployment. This is a massive loss both to them and their countries. A strategy of including people with disabilities in training and employment promotion policies, combined with targeted supports to ensure their participation, can help disabled persons obtain productive mainstream employment.

Identifier

skpPeoDis

Slug

people-with-disabilities

Youth employability

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Identifier

skpYoEmp

Slug

youth-employability

Knowledge Products:

Research papers

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Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Publication Date:

06 Nov 2012

Open

fm11g_021827.pdf

Background paper prepared for the Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2012

This background paper draws from recent and unique research on living conditions among people with and without disabilities in southern Africa. It confirms that disabled youth are far from experiencing equity in education and opportunities in the labor market. The study concludes that understanding the distinction between the general problems in the education system in poor countries on one side, and the particular problems facing disabled youth on the other is critical to improving this situation. Without targeting disabled youth particularly to increase access and improve achievement, there is clearly a danger that broad programs for improving the educational system will fail if disabled youth, a large and most neglected minority group, are not included both through general and specific measures. The study also reveals some of the complexities involved in the relationship between disability, education and participation in society through meaningful employment. In order to achieve the intentions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities it is, however, necessary that interventions into the education system to improve the quality and the relevance go hand-in-hand with research that can generate further knowledge on barriers and facilitators for disabled youth to participate fully.

Subject Tags:

Education and training

Slug

education-and-training

Identifier

116

Employability

Slug

employability

Identifier

643

Youth

Slug

youth

Identifier

319

Youth unemployment

Slug

youth-unemployment

Identifier

622

Regions:

Africa

Region Image

Countries and territories:

Eswatini

Lesotho

Malawi

Zambia

Zimbabwe

The price of exclusion: the economic consequences of excluding people with disabilities from the world of work

Type:

Document

Content Type:

															The price of exclusion: the economic consequences of excluding people with disabilities from the world of work
													

Language:

English

Slug

english

Identifier

skpEng

Sources:

ILO

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Identifier

skpILO

Slug

ilo

Topics:

Career guidance and employment services

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Career guidance and counselling, career education and lifelong development of skills for employability are key for success in learning activities, effective career transitions, livelihood planning, entrepreneurship and in increasing labour market participation. They are instrumental in promoting skills utilization, recognition (RPL), as well as in improving enterprise human resource management.

Career development activities encompass a wide variety of support activities including career information and advice, counselling, work exposure (e.g. job shadowing, work experience periods), assessment, coaching, mentoring, professional networking, advocacy, basic and employability skills training (curricular and non-curricular) and entrepreneurship training. It is often an area which is fragmented across different ministries (e.g. education, TVET, employment, youth) requiring an effort to achieve the necessary coordination to provide adequate support to individuals during learning, employment and unemployment/inactivity periods.

Identifier

skpLMIES

Slug

career-guidance-and-employment-services

People with disabilities

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Identifier

skpPeoDis

Slug

people-with-disabilities

Knowledge Products:

Promotional material

Presentations, discussion papers, meeting reports, promotional materials, videos, fact sheets, brochures and newsletters on skills development for employment.

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Identifier

skpAIM

Slug

promotional-material

Research papers

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Identifier

skpRPS

Slug

research-papers

Publication Date:

02 Nov 2012

Open

fm11g_021433.pdf

Employment Working Paper No. 43 The study breaks ground in developing and pilot-testing a new approach to quantifying the macroeconomic losses related to exclusion of people with disabilities from workplace. Its innovative approach was tested using data from ten low and middle-income developing countries in Asia (China, Thailand and Viet Nam) and in Africa (Ethiopia, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe). It concludes that economic losses related to disability are large and measurable, ranging from between 3 and 7 per cent of GDP.

Subject Tags:

Economic and social rights

Slug

economic-and-social-rights

Identifier

264

People with disabilities

Slug

people-with-disabilities

Identifier

323

Productivity

Slug

productivity

Identifier

188

Regions: