Modernizing Vocational Education and Training in Ethiopia – Input from Germany is highly welcome

From March 10–12, 2026, the BIBB conducted a series of workshops on knowledge management, vocational education and training research, and the responsible use of AI at the Federal TVT Institute (FTVTI), Ethiopia’s vocational education and training institute, in Addis Ababa. The events were aimed at approximately 40 staff members from various departments of the Ethiopian Ministry of Labour and Skills (MoLS) and the FTVTI and were designed to build and strengthen professional expertise.

During the workshop on vocational education and training research, staff from the FTVTI’s research department gained insight into the strategy and topics of vocational education and training research at the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB).

They learned about the basic infrastructure and principles, such as the thematic clusters, as well as specific surveys and research projects. Subsequently, the participants discussed topics, strengths, and weaknesses of their own research work through partner interviews and a learning diary.

A particular challenge for the Ethiopian vocational education and training system is the reluctance of companies to participate in dual training. Here, Ethiopia hopes to learn from Germany: “Input from Germany is very welcome for our research work. We are pleased to gain these exciting insights into BIBB’s research,” said Dr. Animaw Tadesse, Head of Research and Community Service at FTVTI.

In the knowledge management workshop, participants gained insight into BIBB’s experience with internal knowledge management through social media, the intranet, digital record-keeping (e-files), and other web-based processes. The dissemination of work results to external target groups (external knowledge management) via various databases, research tools, and exchange platforms was also presented and discussed in relation to Ethiopia.

AI in Vocational Education and Training

How can generative AI be used responsibly and thoughtfully in everyday work? What are the potentials, limitations, and risks of AI applications? These questions were the focus of the workshop “Responsible Use of AI”.

The workshop aimed to strengthen the institutional capacities of the Ethiopian partners and support them in effectively fulfilling their statutory role in the governance and regulation of vocational education and training using AI.

Participants explored concrete applications of AI in vocational education and training through structured prompting strategies—such as in curriculum design, the development of learning materials, and career guidance. Particular attention was paid to ethical issues, potential biases in AI models, as well as the environmental and economic aspects of global AI infrastructures. “It is important to me that participants learn to understand large language models (LLMs) not as ‘magic tools,’ but as statistical prediction models,” said Luca Jelic (BIBB).

With 40 participants — up from the original 20 registrations — and lively discussions, there was significant interest in the topics presented. Erika Bürkle (Project Manager, BIBB) drew a positive conclusion: “All the activities carried out were a complete success, allowing us to define the next steps and deepen our cooperation with our Ethiopian partners.”

The workshop series took place as part of the consulting project “Organizational Development and Advisory Services for the Ethiopian Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS) on TVET Governance”. BIBB is carrying out this project from January 2025 to October 2027 on behalf of the German Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).