Don Bosco Tech Africa Hosts Transformative Annual Stakeholders Assembly 2025 in Nairobi

Nairobi, Kenya – The Don Bosco Tech Africa (DBTA) Annual Stakeholders Assembly (ASA) 2025 brought together TVET leaders, policymakers, industry representatives and educators from across Africa and beyond for five days (22-26 September) of dialogue and action on the future of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Africa.

The assembly opened with powerful reflections on DBTA’s journey and mission. From its modest beginnings in 2014, DBTA has grown into a continental leader in skills development, now reaching tens of thousands of young people each year. Participants were reminded that DBTA is more than a network—it is a family, a brand, and a force for change. The gathering was described as a “fire circle,” where wisdom, solidarity, and innovation fuel Africa’s path to inclusive and sustainable growth. The speakers called for self-belief, fraternity, and self-reliance, urging the Don Bosco family to walk with young people, uphold their dignity through quality training, and build a future of hope rooted in sustainability and shared responsibility.

The week’s sessions addressed critical challenges and opportunities for African TVET. Participants explored the role of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in certifying skills acquired in informal settings, offering dignity and opportunity to millions of artisans, youth, and refugees. DBTA Deputy Director Br. John Njuguna challenged participants to imagine Don Bosco TVET in 2030, underscoring the urgency of digitizing classrooms, embedding green skills, and building innovation hubs.

Panels on inclusivity highlighted barriers faced by women, persons with disabilities, and marginalized communities. Speakers emphasized that true inclusion is not an option but a duty—requiring safe environments for young mothers, sign language and accessible infrastructure for learners with disabilities, and mobile or digital hubs to reach remote areas.

Environmental sustainability was another strong theme. Experts called for mainstreaming green skills into all curricula—ranging from renewable energy and sustainable construction to digital sustainability. Don Bosco Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia and AFM Province (South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho) showcased initiatives such as solar PV training, hydroponics, waste management, and green life skills programs. Students from Makuyu TVET impressed participants with their Aquaponics Project, demonstrating how youth innovation can tackle unemployment, food insecurity, and environmental degradation.

A high-level panel on transformative partnerships brought together voices from the African Union, European Union, Don Bosco Tech Europe, Don Bosco International, EGInA – European Grants International Academy and Don Bosco Tech Africa. The consensus was clear: partnerships must move beyond transactional to shared values, mutual accountability, and systemic change. Examples such as dual apprenticeship programs in Kenya, which have achieved up to 100% graduate employment, showed what is possible when industry and TVET institutions co-create solutions.

As the assembly drew to a close, participants adopted the ASA 2025 Declaration, committing to scale up RPL, integrate green and digital skills, re-skill and up-skill trainers, and forge transformative partnerships rooted in solidarity and shared responsibility.