After the Somali civil war, one of the notable indicators of recovery is the burgeoning of the education sector, especially with private universities setting up across the country. The transformation of Somalia’s academic infrastructure has emerged out of a once-desolate country. The country’s severe struggles are noteworthy, but there is pride to be taken in the educational revival. Each year, Somalia celebrates the achievements of thousands of young graduates from various universities across the country, specializing in fields such as business, law, medicine, information technology, and more.
Amidst Somalia’s academic progress, there exists a troubling paradox: an unemployment rateexceeding 60 %. Many graduates are unable to secure a job that matches their qualifications or any job at all. This phenomenon underscores an unsettling reality: while we are producing graduates, we are failing to equip them with the skills necessary to participate meaningfully in the workforce. Unfortunately, many Somali youth lack the fundamental vocational and technical skills needed for smooth integration into the labor market.
Completing a formal education certainly helps acquire the knowledge needed for a better future, something that is important everywhere. However, that is not the case in Somalia, which has a primarily informal and service-based economy. Our people tend to place greater value on academic qualifications than on practical experience—despite the latter being critically needed in the local labor market. Take the agriculture, fisheries, construction, and digital skill sectors as an example. There is still an acute shortage of skilled local technicians, with unskilled workers losing jobs to foreigners. This challenge can only be effectively addressed by strengthening vocational training and skills development, particularly in key sectors such as agriculture and construction.
There is an ever-growing demand for skilled personnel in fields such as renewables, agriculture, mechanics, and fisheries. This demand makes the need for practical training even more pressing. While Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs present an adequate answer, we must ensure that they are compatible with the reality of the labor market.
TVET equips learners with practical, market-oriented skills in areas like welding, plumbing, tailoring, agribusiness, and even emerging fields like solar panel installation. Unlike university degrees, TVET programs are shorter, decently priced, and customized to local market needs. Relevant TVET courses can help Somalia utilize its resources, create new opportunities, and foster economic development.
Globally, the value of TVET is well documented. Germany, for example, has integrated TVED into their education system. Up to 70 % of the 60% enrolling in higher education, choose the dual system of vocational training, which combines classroom learning and work. Ethiopia has also reformed its TVET system, creating a new skilled workforce to support the country’s industrial development. Kenya’s achievements in vocational skills training for youth empowerment also showed how impactful TVET can be in increasing employment and empowering local economies.
Even so, in Somalia, TVET continues to be viewed with a stigma. It is regarded as a safety net reserved for those without an academic track. This perspective is, at best outdated and, at worst, damaging. A young Somali running a profitable mechanic shop or tailoring business contributes just as much—if not more—to their community and economy as someone sitting idle with a diploma.
To change this mindset, we must redefine success. It should not be based solely on academic qualifications but on one’s contribution to the community, their financial independence, and their role in the economy. A recent study by the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (2024) highlighted the need for Somalia’s development strategy to invest in alternative education pathways, particularly those focused on skills training, to unlock the full potential of our youth.
Things are looking optimistic. Policies like the National Employment Policy and the National Education Sector Strategic Plans are starting to appreciate the rapidly changing world of work and the need for vocational training. Also, there is greater international donor and NGO funding for TVET centers, Mobile Training Units, and Apprenticeship Programs. Nevertheless, scaling up and sustainability are still long-standing issues.
To make TVET viable and impactful, several actions are needed. National investment must go beyond policy and into infrastructure, quality assurance, and instructor training. Private sector players should help design and implement training programs that match real market needs. Awareness campaigns can help shift societal attitudes. TVET programs should be inclusive and accessible to all, particularly young women and displaced populations. And graduates must be linked to credit, mentorship, and job networks.
Somalia is at a turning point. It can keep spinning out degrees that stunt economic growth but nurture dreams, or it can invest in actual value: skills that can secure employment, establish enterprises, and energize communities.
We should not track development as the number of university degree attainers but rather as the young people who are capable of raising a family while actively participating in the economy through dignified employment. The future of Somalia does not depend on certificates; it relies on capability.
The time has come to place technical and vocational education at the top of the national development agenda.
