Expanding Access to Skills: Supporting Young Women Through Ethiopia’s TVET Reforms

At Misrak Polytechnic College, in Addis Ababa, 20-year-old Hanna Samuel is learning carpentry-operating woodworking machines, reading technical drawings, and building basic furniture. "People told me carpentry is men's work," she said. "But I was interested, so I registered."

Hanna's experience reflects a gradual shift in Ethiopia's technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system, driven by the Education and Skills for Employability (EASE) Project. Launched in 2024 with support from the World Bank, EASE aims to enhance the employment outcomes of TVET graduates-in both salaried employment and entrepreneurship-by better aligning short-term skills training with labor market needs.

At Misrak Polytechnic and other public colleges, EASE will support modest but practical improvements to infrastructure, including the addition of separate restrooms and showers for female students. The project also sets inclusion benchmarks, aiming for 50% female participation in short-term and long-term training programs, along with specific targets for rural youth, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and other underserved groups. Hanna hopes to eventually start a small carpentry business.

Giving people the means to support themselves via adequate education and training can help lift entire communities out of poverty and foster economic stability. The project encourages women to enter trades traditionally dominated by men, such as woodworking, where employment prospects and earnings tend to be stronger. By supporting safe and inclusive training environments, the EASE Project, in Ethiopia, aims to make male-dominated fields accessible to women and other underrepresented groups.

In Ethiopia, the EASE Project supports short-term training for up to 100,000 youth, offering a mix of technical instruction, digital literacy, financial education, and soft skills. The goal is for at least 70% of graduates to find employment or start a business within a year of completing the program.

Rediet Bezabih, another graduate of Misrak Polytechnic, initially planned to study hospitality but was placed in the leatherworking stream. She soon discovered a strong interest in design and production. "I learned how to turn an idea into a real product," she said.

After gaining experience with local designers, she started a small workshop where she produces leather bags and wallets for local shops and occasional overseas buyers. For Rediet, skills training provided a path to self-employment and a way to balance work with family responsibilities.

Similar opportunities are emerging at other institutions. At Holeta Polytechnic College, near Addis Ababa, Level III student Lalistu Debela received national recognition for her work in fruit and vegetable processing. With support from the World Bank-backed East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP), she developed an idea based on banana chips and banana peel powder-simple products that can reduce food waste and improve nutrition.

Her project used readily available materials and demonstrated a basic but effective approach to food processing, packaging, and shelf-life extension. Lalistu's work won first place at the Fourth National Skills Competition, receiving a modest cash award and recognition from TVET leaders. "I wanted to show how we can make use of things that are usually discarded," she said.

Her work showed a solid understanding of basic processing techniques and local market conditions. She hopes to build on this experience by pursuing further studies in food science and gradually developing a small production unit in partnership with local farmers and cooperatives.

Through EASTRIP, Holeta Polytechnic has upgraded equipment, improved instruction, and strengthened links with local industries. Lalistu's project benefited from these resources, including access to lab space and guidance from instructors, which helped her refine her ideas despite occasional limitations.

Taken together, EASE and EASTRIP support different but complementary aspects of Ethiopia's TVET reform. EASE focuses on short-term training, entrepreneurship, and inclusion, while EASTRIP strengthens institutional capacity, sectoral expertise, and regional collaboration. Both projects aim to better align training programs with labor market needs and improve outcomes for graduates. The overarching idea, of course, is to create jobs and to make them accessible to more people. More than just a source of income, jobs provide dignity and purpose: they unlock potential in the places where people already live, empower women, engage young people, strengthen communities, create business opportunities, and reduce the need for international aid and social assistance.

The projects are also contributing to improvements in labor market data, certification systems, and program monitoring. These changes are intended to help training providers respond more effectively to employer demands and track progress over time.

The experiences of trainees like Hanna, Rediet, and Lalistu highlight how access to practical skills training can open new pathways for young people-whether through formal employment or small-scale enterprise. While challenges such as limited resources and social barriers remain, these stories point to steady progress in expanding access to relevant, hands-on learning opportunities.

With ongoing support and coordination, these efforts may help more young people across Ethiopia prepare for work in a changing economy and pursue their own goals over time.