Reshaping Ethiopia’s Higher Education Curriculum to Tackle Youth Unemployment

Abstract

Ethiopia has seen remarkable economic growth in the past decade, and there has been high demand for construction work to keep up with the pace of change. As part of the country’s Growth and Transformation Plans (GTPs) unprecedented efforts have been made to grow the university sector, particularly science and technology degrees, which has resulted in an increase in engineering graduates. However, universities produce graduates equipped with theoretical knowledge but often lacking the practical skills that employers look for. The mismatch between the theoretical skills gained in higher education and the practical skills needed by the private construction sector means that engineering graduates often end up unemployed or underemployed. The evaluation of GTP II and the creation of GTP III from 2020 are key opportunities to revise the higher education curriculum in collaboration with the private sector to make it fit for purpose and reduce graduate unemployment.