German State Secretary Reaffirms Commitment to Strengthening Ethio-German Skills Partnership in his visit to the Federal Technical and Vocational Training Institute
Ethiopia and Germany reaffirmed their longstanding partnership in Technical and Vocational Training (TVT) during a high-level visit by a German delegation led by Dr. Géza Andreas von Geyr, State Secretary at the German Federal Foreign Office, to the Federal Technical and Vocational Training Institute (FTVTI) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The delegation, accompanied by the Ambassador of Germany to Ethiopia Mrs Birgitt Ory and representatives of the German Embassy, was welcomed by Dr. Biruk Kedir, Director General of FTVTI, together with the Institute's deputy director generals and senior management.
Dr. Biruk presented the achievements of more than three decades of Ethio-German cooperation in strengthening Ethiopia's TVT system. He highlighted Germany's continued support in improving the quality, relevance and accessibility of vocational education through institutional capacity development, modern training systems, and technical assistance.
The discussions underscored the evolving nature of the partnership, which increasingly focuses on preparing Ethiopian youth with internationally competitive skills while responding to growing demand for skilled professionals in Germany. Through competency-based training, certification, language preparation and labour market-oriented skills development, the cooperation aims to create employment opportunities for Ethiopian graduates while contributing to economic development in both countries.
The partnership continues to support Ethiopia's TVT reform agenda through initiatives that:
- Strengthen labour market-oriented vocational education and training;
- Advance digital learning environments and modern training systems;
- Enhance institutional capacity and industry-relevant skills development; and
- Promote international labour mobility through competency-based training and certification.
During discussions, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in priority areas, including human and institutional capacity development, Green TVT, digital transformation, innovation, skilled labour mobility and international partnerships.
The delegation also toured the Institute's digital infrastructure, language laboratory and automotive workshop, where Dr. Habtom Gebreegziabher, Deputy Director General for Training and Capacity Building, showcased how these facilities are equipping trainees with practical, industry-relevant competencies aligned with national and international labour market needs.
The visitors commended the Institute's progress in delivering high-quality, demand-driven technical and vocational education and reaffirmed Germany's continued commitment to supporting Ethiopia in developing a skilled workforce equipped for the future.
The visit reflects the enduring partnership between Ethiopia and Germany and their shared commitment to promoting quality skills development, employment opportunities and sustainable economic transformation through strengthened cooperation in technical and vocational training.
Germany has been one of Ethiopia's key development partners in Technical and Vocational Training for more than 30 years. Through the Ethio-German Sustainable Training and Education Programme (STEP IV) and other cooperation initiatives, GIZ supports the Ministry of Labor and Skills, the Federal TVT Institute, TVT colleges and the private sector in strengthening TVT governance, promoting industry engagement, advancing digital and green skills, and enhancing employment opportunities for Ethiopian youth.
The Sustainable Training and Education Programme is implemented on behalf of the German Government and co-financed by the European Union.
Authors: Dr. Lemma Demissie and Daniel Zemichal
Photos: ©GIZ/Yihenew Mengist