The African Union (AU) established the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) as a strategy to achieve agriculture-based growth and food security on the continent. In order to realise the African agricultural sector’s potential for employment, food security and sustainable economic growth, AUDA-NEPAD promotes Agricultural Technical Vocational Education and Training (ATVET).

The CAADP ATVET project aims to establish functional agricultural TVET systems in 12 AU member states: Kenya, Malawi, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Sierra Leone, Namibia, South Africa, Rwanda and Uganda. CAADP ATVET harnesses the potential of Africa’s youthful demographic by promoting employability through skills development. Curricula are developed in partnership with the private sector to ensure that trainees are equipped with the skills to meet labour market needs. To guarantee ownership and sustainability, curricula are embedded within the National Qualification Framework (NQF) of the respective AU member states.  

The project’s new component on women, titled ‘Women in ATVET’, strives to amplify and transform women’s roles in agricultural production, processing and trade through skills development.