GLM|LIC organised a one-day IZA/DFID Conference on Training Programmes and Labour Markets in Africa: Evidence and Policy Lessons on Friday December 13, 2013 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The goal of the conference was to bring together academic researchers, policy makers, and representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations involved in training programmes in Africa. The focus was on the lessons learned from design, implementation, and evaluations of training programmes.
David Lam (University of Michigan and IZA) and Witness Simbanegavi (Director of Research, AERC) welcomed the participants by giving an introduction to the programme and the conference.
Markus Goldstein (World Bank) talked about the “Importance of Rigorous Evaluation and Lessons Learned” drawing from his experience with evaluation programs in Africa. In the afternoon session under the title of “Lessons from Recent Evaluations”, Pamela Jakiela (University of Maryland), Mwangi Kimenyi (Brookings Institution), and Isaac Mbiti (Southern Methodist University) shared their recent experience with projects involving the evaluation of skill training programmes in Africa. Later, in the session titled “Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Training Programs” Dan Baffour-Awuah (Former Executive Director, Ghana Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training), Ehud Gachugu (Project Director, Kenya Youth Employment Project), and Stephen Okello (International Rescue Committee Kenya) talked about their experience dealing with skill training programmes from the side of the policy makers.
The day ended with an interesting panel discussion about what is known about skill training programmes in Africa and methods to evaluate them. Germano Mwabu (University of Nairobi), Mwangi Kimenyi (Brookings Institution), Alice Githu (Directorate of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Devolution and Planning, Republic of Kenya), and Markus Goldstein (World Bank) were the panel discussion participants. Also, they answered questions raised from the audience during the panel discussion.