The European Union initiated the DESTA programme in order to provide market-relevant digital and entrepreneurial skills to support Ethiopia’s fast-growing digital economy. The DESTA project builds on an existing partnership with the Government of Ethiopia, while significantly expanding its involvement in improving the quality and relevance of the TVET system to address Ethiopia’s digital skills needs in a variety of economic sectors.

In recent years, Ethiopia has seen a government-led push in terms of accelerating its digital transformation journey through the Digital Ethiopia 2025 Strategy. In addition, the significant reforms that aim to modernise the TVET sector contribute directly to the Governments’ 10-Year Development Plan and offer a unique opportunity to build a modern, inclusive and future-oriented approach towards (digital) skills development. 

Objectives

The DESTA programme – which is implemented by the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GiZ) and the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) – will improve access to digital learning through advanced/emerging technologies, strengthen both teachers’ and students’ market-relevant digital skills and, most importantly, enhance the employability of Ethiopian youth in close collaboration with Ethiopia’s private sector.

Expected Results

1. Improving access to quality digital learning through advanced/emerging technologies (basket fund - KfW)

• Provide and/or upgrade digital infrastructure of TVET institutions to accommodate digital learning needs;

• Enhance access to and use of digital learning tools, including Learning Management Systems (LMS) and/or other digital learning solutions (licensed and open source);

• Develop quality digital learning content in collaboration with the private sector, adapted to local context and aligned with curricula;

• Raise awareness and change perception regarding the added value of digital learning and skills through TVET. 

2. Strengthening TVET trainers’ digital skills and their ability to provide digitally-enabled TVET through gender-specific and disability-inclusive capacity building (EDUFI/FInCEED)

• Empower TVET trainers by enhancing their digital skills and competencies;

• Innovate and optimize digitally-enabled training delivery methods;

• Design and implement inclusive digital training programs informed by gender gap analysis.

3. Enhancing youth’s market-relevant digital skills and entrepreneurial understanding with a focus on female students and including students with disabilities (GiZ)

• Drive development of digital, technical, soft, and entrepreneurial skills aligned with high-demand sectors identified through collaboration with local private sector, European investors, and regional market dynamics;

• Deliver targeted gender-specific support empowering female students to actively engage in and contribute to the digital economy;

4. Improving employability of youth in collaboration with the private sector by facilitating linkages to the labour market in relevant value chains and sectors, incl. in the digital economy (GiZ)

• Establish institutionalized partnerships with the private sector, including digital entrepreneurs, to co-design and reform the TVET system;

• Accelerate business and startup growth by actively supporting digital entrepreneurship.

Key Approaches

• In a Team Europe spirit, the programme combines a contribution to an existing basket-fund managed by the Ministry of Labour and Skills with a fully-fledged contribution agreement between the EU and several implementing partners;
• DESTA has to be seen as contributing to the Global Gateway Strategy for Ethiopia, whereby digital skills development are a key enabling factor to ensure a sustainable and inclusive human-centric digital transformation;
• The programme builds on existing expertise and experience of implementing partners regarding (digital) skills development in Ethiopia. In addition, it will mobilise regional EU-funded facilities for mapping market-relevant digital skills needs in the country, aligned with the Global Gateway pillars.