East Africa using second education conference to tackle youth skills mismatch at workplaces

East Africa to Tackle Skills Mismatch at Second Regional Education Conference

The East African Community (EAC) will convene its second Regional Conference on Education in Nairobi, Kenya, from 24 to 28 August 2026, aiming to accelerate practical action towards transforming education systems in the region. The conference comes at a time when education systems across East Africa continue to face persistent inequalities in access and quality, weak transitions across levels of education, skills mismatches, and limited links between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and industry, as reported by both BusinessGhana and The Tanzania Times.

The conference will be held under the theme, “Transforming Education in East Africa: From Commitments to Impact, Fostering Resilience and Future-Ready Systems for Sustainable Development.” It will bring together high-level government officials, policymakers, education practitioners, teachers, students, youth representatives, academia and research institutions, civil society organisations, and development partners from the EAC Partner States and beyond.

Reviewing Progress and Setting Priorities

Participants will review progress since the first EAC Regional Conference on Education, held in August 2024 at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. The gathering will identify systemic and implementation gaps and agree on priority actions to accelerate education transformation at national and regional levels. The conference is expected to produce a communiqué or roadmap outlining agreed commitments, flagship initiatives, timelines, and next steps.

Speaking ahead of the conference, EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Aguer Ariik Malueth, said the conference will focus on strengthening foundational learning and teacher capacity as well as promoting inclusive education. “Particular attention will be given to future-ready skills, leveraging digitalisation and innovation and improving education financing and governance,” said Hon. Ariik.

The conference will also advance the East African Common Higher Education and Research Area (EACHEA), with emphasis on harmonisation, innovation, and partnerships to improve the quality and relevance of higher education.

Building on Regional Commitments

The conference builds on the outcomes of the first EAC Regional Conference on Education and follows the approval by the 15th Meeting of the EAC Sectoral Council on Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Sports to establish an EAC Regional Forum on Education, anchored in Articles 102 and 103 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community.

Dr. Mary Goretti Nakabugo, Co-Chair of the Conference Organising Committee, called on stakeholders across the region to participate in the conference and strengthen collective action towards transforming education systems.

The five-day conference will feature pre-conference co-workshops, keynote addresses, plenary and roundtable discussions, policy dialogues, country exhibitions, fireside chats, and interactive question-and-answer sessions.