This photo taken on Feb. 15, 2024 shows a view of the Ethiopian Luban Workshop in a vocational training institute in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

　　FROM SKILLS TO LIVELIHOODS

　　For many young Africans, mastering a skill is ultimately about finding a job, or even starting a business.

　　At the end of 2025, 30 Rwandan students came home from a year of advanced training at Jinhua University of Vocational Technology in east China's Zhejiang Province.

　　Aimable Tuyishime, a 23-year-old e-commerce graduate who studied logistics, warehouse management and data analysis there, is now building an online shopping platform for Rwandan consumers.

　　"This is the right time to put all the skills and experience I gained into practice," he said.

　　In Tanzania, the Kilimanjaro Institute of Technology and Management launched a Chinese culinary program early this year, combining video lessons from chefs in China with practice in local kitchens.

　　"These are skills that make you different, and I can even start my own restaurant one day," said hospitality student Ruth Washima Seni.

　　For some, success in competition has opened the door to employment. At last year's Namibian national skills contest, the gold medalists in cooking and restaurant service also won three-month apprenticeships with a local hospitality group.