ADDIS ABABA – The East Africa Skills Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP) is making tangible strides in developing a skilled workforce across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania— contributing to stronger regional integration and increased investment potential, officials say.
EASTRIP Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Hailemichael Asrat told The Ethiopian Herald that the project is showing steady progress toward its core development goals. “We are witnessing encouraging results in transforming technical and vocational education in the region,” he said.
The initiative, launched to strengthen the quality and relevance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET), aims to establish 15 regional centers of excellence. These centers are expected to foster knowledge exchange, support research, and create a highly skilled labor pool across priority sectors such as manufacturing, ICT, and transportation.
“So far, we have developed 10 professionals under the first objective, with seven of them trained in diverse sectors,” Hailemichael noted. “Their performance has been remarkable, and the collaboration with seven private institutions has significantly improved staff capacity— especially among managers and trainers.”
The project is also active in Kenya and Tanzania, where partner institutions are focusing on sectors vital to regional development. According to Hailemichael, EASTRIP’s overarching goal is to establish centers of excellence that serve as regional talent hubs—contributing not only to national workforce needs but also to cross-border economic growth.
One key indicator of progress is the increasing number of graduates. “We have grown the number of graduates to 7,000, up from a baseline of 6,900,” he stated, adding that these graduates are already engaged in the labor market across various industries.
Hailemichael emphasized that a well-trained workforce is a strong magnet for both foreign and local investment. “When investors see that skilled labor is readily available, their confidence in entering the market increases significantly,” he said.
Another important component of EASTRIP is the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), which acknowledges the skills of workers who have practical experience but lack formal certification. “RPL helps motivate workers to improve their productivity and contributes to the overall quality of the workforce,” he added.
Hailemichael also stressed the importance of promoting TVET to address youth unemployment and shift societal attitudes. “Through awareness campaigns and best practice sharing, we aim to elevate the perception of TVET and position it as a key pathway to economic empowerment.”
With continued progress and regional collaboration, EASTRIP is poised to become a model for skills development and integration across Africa.
BY ESSEYE MENGISTE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 15, July 2025
