At the 3rd Africa Skills Week 2026 in Harare, Zimbabwe, one young man discovered that the most powerful engine for Africa’s development isn’t found under a car hood — it’s found in the skills of its youth.

In a world that often celebrates the loudest voices, Yosef Dechasa speaks through his work.

A student of Automotive Electrical and Electronics at Addis Ababa Tegbare-id Polytechnic College and a participant of FAWE Ethiopia under the FAWE/Mastercard Foundation Phase 2 Program, Yosef is not just learning a trade. He is learning how to power a continent.

And at the 3rd Africa Skills Week 2026 in Harare, Zimbabwe, he found the spark that will drive his journey forward.

The 3rd Africa Skills Week is more than a conference. It is a meeting of minds — policymakers, educators, entrepreneurs, and young people — all united by a shared vision: an Africa where skills drive development, innovation, and prosperity.

For Yosef, the experience was transformative.

“My experience at the 3rd Africa Skills Week 2026 was inspiring, educational, and memorable,” he says. “It provided me with an opportunity to connect with people from different countries, learn about innovative skills development initiatives, and explore how Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) can contribute to Africa’s development.”

That word — TVET — is central to Yosef’s story. Technical and Vocational Education and Training is often overlooked in favour of traditional academic paths. But for young people like Yosef, TVET is not a second choice. It is a first-class ticket to a meaningful career, a stable livelihood, and a chance to contribute to national development.

And Africa Skills Week 2026 made that clear.

One of the most important insights Yosef took from the event is that skills development must go beyond theoretical knowledge.

“I learned that skills development should go beyond theoretical knowledge and emphasize practical skills, innovation, and real-world problem-solving,” he says.

It is a lesson that resonates deeply in the African context. Too often, young people graduate with certificates but without the practical competencies needed to succeed in the workforce. They can recite theories but cannot fix engines. They can pass exams but cannot solve problems.

Yosef is determined to be different.

As a student of automotive electrical and electronics, he is learning to diagnose faults, repair systems, and design solutions — skills that are in high demand across Africa as the continent invests in infrastructure, transportation, and industry.

And he is not stopping there.

Another key lesson Yosef gained from Africa Skills Week 2026 is the importance of collaboration.

“I learned that collaboration and sharing experiences across countries are essential for advancing Africa’s development,” he says.

In Harare, Yosef met participants from across the continent — young people with different skills, different perspectives, and different dreams. He learned about innovative initiatives in skills development. He explored how TVET can contribute to Africa’s development. He saw, with his own eyes, that the challenges facing young people in Ethiopia are not so different from those facing young people in Zimbabwe, Zambia, or anywhere else on the continent.

And that realization was empowering.

“I was particularly inspired by the importance of equipping young people with practical skills and creating opportunities for them to contribute to their communities,” he says.

That inspiration has become a mission.

Yosef is not content to simply absorb knowledge. He is determined to apply it.

“I plan to apply these lessons in my studies and technical projects by developing practical solutions to community challenges and encouraging other young people to use their skills and creativity to make a positive impact,” he says.

Those words reveal a maturity beyond his years. Yosef understands that skills are not just for personal gain. They are for community upliftment. For national development. For continental transformation.

He wants to use his technical skills to solve real problems — to fix what is broken, to build what is needed, to improve what can be better. And he wants to inspire other young people to do the same.

The TVET Revolution

Yosef’s story is part of a larger movement across Africa: the growing recognition that TVET is not a fallback option, but a pathway to prosperity.

Across the continent, governments, educators, and development partners are investing in technical and vocational training like never before. They are building polytechnics, equipping workshops, and creating partnerships with industry. They are recognizing that Africa’s development depends on a skilled workforce — electricians, mechanics, technicians, engineers — who can build, maintain, and innovate.

Yosef is one of those skilled workers in the making.

And his participation in Africa Skills Week 2026 is a sign of things to come: a generation of young Africans who are proud of their trades, confident in their skills, and ready to contribute.

The Takeaway: Skills That Power a Continent

Yosef Dechasa’s story is a reminder that Africa’s future will not be built by theory alone. It will be built by hands. By skills. By young people who are not afraid to get their hands dirty, to learn a trade, to master a craft.

Yosef is one of those young people.

He came to Harare as a student. He left as an ambassador — for TVET, for Ethiopia, and for the power of practical skills to transform lives.

And as he returns to Addis Ababa, he carries with him more than new knowledge. He carries a renewed sense of purpose. A commitment to lifelong learning. A vision of an Africa where every young person has the skills to build a better life.

The engine of Africa’s development is not found in oil or minerals.

It is found in young people like Yosef Dechasa.

And it is just getting started.

Yosef Dechasa is a student of Automotive Electrical and Electronics at Addis Ababa Tegbare-id Polytechnic College and a participant of FAWE Ethiopia under the FAWE/Mastercard Foundation Phase 2 Program. He is passionate about TVET, innovation, and community development.This article is part of our series spotlighting young African changemakers participating in the 3rd Africa Skills Week 2026. Follow us for more stories of skills, innovation, and transformation across the continent.