ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and United Nations officials have called for advancing vocational education and talent development programs in Africa to speed up industrialization and continental transformation.

They made the call Sunday at the opening of a seminar on vocational education management and capacity-building for the Luban Workshop in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.

Jiang Feng, head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union (AU), said China is committed to building a vocational education development community in Africa through various skill development training programs.

"The training seminar initiated today is a practical measure to implement the commitments within the framework of the China-Africa-UN Tripartite Cooperation Demonstration Center," he said. "It focuses on the demand for skilled talents in the industrialization process of Africa, and deeply connects with the AU Agenda 2063."

Highlighting that China has implemented thousands of training programs, including overseas ones for fellow African people, Jiang said that China-Africa cooperation, especially in the areas of industrialization, agricultural modernization, and talent cultivation, is gaining momentum.

He recalled that China has launched 17 cooperation programs in Africa related to governance, industrial promotion, infrastructure connectivity, trade facilitation, green development, capacity-building, health, cultural exchanges, and peace and security.

Asegid Adane Mebratu, national program officer at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Ethiopia, emphasized the need to promote vocational education in Africa to sustainably meet the evolving needs of industries and communities in the continent.

"The Luban Workshop represents a practical effort to enhance technical skills development and promote technology exchange in support of industrial upgrading and talent cultivation in Africa," Mebratu said, noting that the seminar is part of the broader commitment to strengthening the China-Africa-UNIDO Center of Excellence.

Earlier this year, the AU adopted African Continental Technical and Vocational Education and Training Strategy 2025-34, a blueprint to reimagine skills development systems aligned with Africa's labor market and industrialization priorities.

According to the AU, each year, 10 million to 12 million young people enter Africa's job market, while only about 3 million formal wage jobs are created, resulting in structural under-employment and informality.

In 2025, about 121 million African youth aged 15 to 35 are either unemployed or classified as "Not in Education, Employment, or Training NEET," it said. ■