As part of the Rwanda FutureSkills Forum 2025, the Rwanda TVET Board (RTB), in collaboration with its development partners, successfully hosted the Global Skills Connect Conference 2025, a landmark event aimed at fostering deeper collaboration among TVET stakeholders across Africa and beyond.

Held from June 4th to 5th, 2025, at the Kigali Marriott Hotel, the two-day high-level conference brought together over 350 delegates representing government institutions, private sector organizations, development agencies, TVET providers, and youth-led initiatives from 27 countries.

Under the theme “Connecting TVET Stakeholders to Drive Economic Transformation,” the conference served as a strategic platform to advance partnerships and shape the future of skills development in line with the evolving demands of both global and regional economies.

The program featured keynote speeches, panel discussions, and breakout sessions addressing key priorities such as enhancing technical and vocational excellence, strengthening private sector involvement in skills development, expanding accessible skills ecosystems, integrating emerging technologies into TVET, fostering a future-ready and inclusive workforce, and nurturing talent to drive innovation-led growth.

In his keynote address, Hon. Joseph Nsengimana, Minister of Education, emphasized the pivotal role of TVET in economic transformation. “We live in an era of rapid change, artificial intelligence, digitalization, and automation are redefining industries and workplaces globally. Adapting to this new reality is essential. In Rwanda, we have placed TVET at the centre of our development agenda to ensure our workforce is prepared for the future,” he stated.

The conference highlighted the importance of building inclusive, adaptable, and technology-driven skills ecosystems to equip African youth for emerging job markets while promoting innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Global Skills Connect Conference 2025 concluded with renewed commitments from stakeholders to strengthen international partnerships, exchange best practices, and invest in innovative TVET initiatives that will empower Africa’s next generation of skilled professionals and industry leaders.