Zambia Moves to Align Skills Development with National Transformation Agenda

Zambia has taken a significant step towards aligning its skills development system with national economic priorities through a high-level Stakeholder Consultative Workshop on Polytechnics and Skills for National Transformation.

The four-day workshop, which runs from 2 to 5 February 2026, brings together Government officials, industry leaders, training institutions, cooperating partners and professional bodies to validate strategic roadmaps for the establishment of polytechnics and targeted skills development interventions.

The discussions are focused on supporting Zambia’s key national priorities, including increasing maize production to 10 million metric tonnes, scaling beef exports to US$1 billion, rolling out the Presidential Constituency Energy Initiative through 2MW solar power plants, and converting institutions such as Nkumbi College into Centres of Excellence in priority sectors.

The engagement is firmly anchored in the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), the transition to the Ninth National Development Plan, and the long-term aspirations of Vision 2030.

Opening the workshop, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Technology and Science, Eng. Dr. Brilliant Habeenzu, underscored the strategic importance of polytechnics in Zambia’s economic transformation agenda. He noted that while Zambia’s working-age population is projected to exceed 12 million by 2030, the current Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TEVET) system absorbs less than 15 per cent of eligible youth each year.

“Without urgent reform, this demographic dividend risks becoming a liability, manifesting in unemployment rather than productivity,” Dr Habeenzu warned.

He explained that the establishment of polytechnics will institutionalise structured partnerships with industry, ensuring that training is competency-based, demand-driven and aligned to labour market needs. Through Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET), graduates will acquire measurable, workplace-ready skills, reducing employer retraining costs and improving employability.

Dr Habeenzu highlighted agriculture and energy as critical sectors requiring urgent skills development. He stressed that agricultural transformation demands competencies in irrigation, mechanisation, animal health, breeding, post-harvest handling and climate-smart practices, with training decentralised to community level and supported by modern equipment. 

Similarly, the energy transition will require technicians and technologists skilled in solar installation, maintenance and energy management to support the rollout of 2MW solar plants across constituencies.

The Permanent Secretary further outlined the strategic role of polytechnics as policy instruments to address skills mismatches, strengthen industry-aligned training, and support national productivity. He noted that CBET, now being integrated into TEVETA’s revised strategic plan, represents a global best practice that shifts training from time-based models to industry-validated competency standards.

On institutional development, Dr Habeenzu revealed that Government is pursuing a dual approach of constructing new polytechnics and upgrading existing TEVET institutions. Mumbwa Trades Training Institute is being redesigned into Mumbwa Polytechnic, specialising in animal management and livestock production to strengthen the national livestock value chain.

Chapula Trades Training Institute in Lufwanyama is also being transformed into Chapula Polytechnic through a partnership between Government and Kagem Mining Limited. The institution will focus on heavy equipment repair and mining programmes, with construction now 95 per cent complete and handover expected in the first quarter of 2026. The project is fully financed by Kagem Mining Limited.

In addition, existing institutions are being repositioned to support priority sectors. Nortec will focus on mining, copper processing and critical minerals development, aligned to Zambia’s target of producing three million metric tonnes of copper annually. 

Kabwe Institute of Technology will specialise in electric vehicle battery technologies, agricultural mechanisation and irrigation systems, while Evelyn Hone College will support pharmaceutical production and health-sector manufacturing. The Livingstone Institute for Business and Engineering Studies (LIBES) will strengthen tourism, hospitality and business services as key pillars of economic diversification.

Dr Habeenzu said the partnership model being demonstrated, which includes equipment provision, curriculum co-design, instructor secondment and structured apprenticeships, will be replicated across mining, agriculture, energy, manufacturing and construction. He added that the polytechnics will operate under strengthened governance frameworks, with industry representation on governing councils and performance-based financing to ensure accountability and sustainability.

TEVETA Director General Mr Cleophas Takaiza said the workshop was convened to develop practical, costed and implementable roadmaps for transforming selected institutions into polytechnics and centres of excellence. He stressed that policy pronouncements must be matched with clear implementation plans, infrastructure assessments, staffing requirements and capacity development strategies.

Mr Takaiza urged institutions earmarked for specialisation, including Nkumbi College, to clearly define their existing capacities, infrastructure gaps, equipment needs and industry linkages required to become centres of excellence, particularly in agriculture and beef production. He reaffirmed TEVETA’s commitment to aligning its Strategic Plan to 2027 with national development priorities.

Meanwhile, TEVETA Board Chairperson Ngosa Chibesakunda Nkwabilo noted that Zambia now has clear, measurable national targets under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema. She said these targets provide a concrete basis for planning, accountability and performance measurement, and called on skills development stakeholders to clearly define their roles in achieving them.

She described the workshop as a shift from policy dialogue to practical implementation, ensuring that skills planning directly supports economic growth and job creation.

The Stakeholder Consultative Workshop is expected to inform policy, investment and implementation frameworks that will accelerate agricultural productivity, energy security, industrialisation and Zambia’s transition towards a middle-income economy in line with Vision 2030.