BWIRE: What skills do developing countries really need?

When conversations turn to development, the word skills is often thrown around loosely, that is, having more engineers, more doctors, more coders, among other cliché areas.

Being in many fields, including higher education, I get this question on skills and skills gaps a lot during simple dining conversations, from casual talk with aspiring graduates to high table discussions.

In my view, while technical expertise is important, our developing countries do not simply need more skills; they need the right mix of skills aligned to their realities, institutions, and future challenges.

At the most basic level, the foundational skills already catered for by our governments remain non-negotiable. Literacy, numeracy, digital literacy, and critical thinking form the bedrock of any functioning society. Yet across many developing countries, education systems still prioritise rote learning over problem-solving.

A young person who cannot analyse information, adapt to change, or question systems is ill-prepared for both the labour market and civic life. This means that these basic skills are not enough, they must pave way to functional skills, and this is where university education and Tvet education comes in.

Closely linked are the technical and vocational skills. For years, vocational training has been treated as a lesser option, despite the fact that economies rely heavily on artisans, technicians, builders, electricians, and agricultural workers and many developed countries relied on such labour to get to where they are.

Aligning Tvet programmes with actual labour market needs, especially in areas such as construction, manufacturing, renewable energy, and agribusiness, can create dignified employment and reduce youth unemployment more effectively than chasing white-collar ideals.

Digital skills are equally unavoidable. Not everyone needs to be a software engineer, but everyone must sort of strive to be digitally fluent and conversant.

From e-commerce to e-government services, data analysis to cybersecurity awareness, digital competence determines who participates in modern economies and who is left behind. For instance, digital skills are a prudent way to driving services faster, especially government services in Kenya which serve masses on a daily basis.

Another critical area is governance and civic skills. Developing countries do not fail due to lack of talent alone; they fail when leadership, ethics, accountability, and public participation are weak.

Leaders and aspiring leaders as well as citizens in general require skills in public policy analysis, mediation, negotiation, and democratic engagement, which are essential to building institutions that serve citizens rather than elites. Economic growth without good governance can be very fragile and the good thing is that this gap can be easily reversed.

Entrepreneurship and financial skills also deserve attention. With limited formal jobs available, young people must be equipped to create enterprises, manage finances, access credit, and innovate within their communities. Social entrepreneurship and cooperative models, in particular, offer inclusive pathways often overlooked by policymakers.

Finally, climate and sustainability skills are no longer optional. Developing countries face the harshest effects of climate change despite contributing least to it. Skills in climate adaptation, green jobs, environmental management and disaster preparedness are now matters of survival.

Of essence in our countries, we need a skills-systems match. Currently, many of our education systems remain disconnected from labour markets, youth capacities are excluded from political processes, and talent is stifled by weak institutions. If only our developing countries address this mismatch, skills alone will not deliver development.

Vera writes on African youth, democracy, higher education and development, [email protected]