From 21 to 30 April 2026, the UNEVOC Center of Shaanxi Polytechnic University (SNPU) launched the on-site intensive phase of a comprehensive 12-week occupational skills development programme in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Conducted in collaboration with China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and General Wingate Polytechnic College, this initiative represents a structured, blended learning approach to TVET, combining ten days of face-to-face intensive instruction with subsequent online coaching to ensure sustained competency development.

As a designated UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre, SNPU leveraged its mandate to promote international cooperation in TVET, bringing together nearly 100 Ethiopian students and construction workers for training aligned with the skills demands in construction engineering and electrification.

A Blended Learning Model: From Intensive On-Site Training to Sustained Online Support

The programme was designed as a 12-week occupational skills development curriculum, structured in two integrated phases:

Phase I — Face-to-Face Intensive Instruction: Participants completed concentrated, hands-on training at General Wingate Polytechnic College, one of Ethiopia's premier TVET institutions. This on-site component focused on core technical competencies in construction engineering and electrification, delivered through workshop-based pedagogy directly informed by real-world workplace requirements.

Phase II — Online Precision Coaching : Following the intensive phase, trainees transition to a structured online support system, providing targeted, individualized guidance to reinforce learning outcomes, address workplace-specific challenges, and ensure effective knowledge transfer to actual job settings.

Workplace-Ready Curriculum Design

A defining feature of the programme is its tight alignment with frontline operational requirements. The curriculum was co-designed by SNPU faculty and CCCC technical experts through systematic occupational task analysis, ensuring that every training module corresponds to authentic workplace demands in Ethiopia's infrastructure and energy sectors.

Training content was developed through direct consultation with site engineers and production supervisors, covering:

Construction Engineering: Concrete technology, structural installation, quality control protocols, and safety management procedures currently applied on active project sites;

Electrification: Power distribution systems, equipment installation standards, and maintenance routines matching operational specifications in the field;

Cross-Cultural Professional Communication: Workplace interaction protocols essential for effective collaboration in multicultural project environments.

Classroom instruction was complemented by immersive practical workshops at General Wingate Polytechnic College, where trainees engaged with equipment and simulated tasks mirroring actual working conditions. This "training-ground-to-workplace" continuity ensures that competencies acquired are immediately transferable to employment contexts.

Institutional Partnership and Systemic Capacity Building

The initiative reflects a deepening trilateral partnership among the UNEVOC Center of SNPU, CCCC, and General Wingate Polytechnic College. Beyond individual trainee outcomes, the collaboration targets systemic TVET strengthening through:

Faculty Development: Joint training-of-trainers programmes to build local instructional capacity;

Joint Curriculum Design: Co-development of modular training packages adaptable to evolving industry standards;

Student Exchange Pathways: Structured mobility schemes enabling Ethiopian trainees to access advanced technical programmes at SNPU;

Degree Programme Co-Development: Progression routes from short-cycle training to formal qualification frameworks.

"This collaboration plays a vital role in equipping our youth with practical skills that are essential for national development," noted Melese Yigzaw, Dean of General Wingate Polytechnic College. "The skills acquired will empower graduates to contribute meaningfully to the workforce, support industry development, and improve their own livelihoods."

Million Mathewos, Deputy Mayor of Addis Ababa, emphasized the municipal government's support for the partnership, highlighting its potential to enhance TVET quality and produce globally competitive professionals capable of meeting industry-specific production demands.

At the graduation ceremony marking completion of the intensive phase on 30 April, Chen Hai, Ambassador to Ethiopia, presented awards to outstanding trainees

Looking Forward

The UNEVOC Center of SNPU and its partners have committed to scaling the "Intensive On-Site + Sustained Online" model through follow-up programme cycles, faculty mobility schemes, and the co-development of modular training packages adaptable to other TVET contexts in Africa. The Centre will systematically document learning outcomes from both the face-to-face and online phases, contributing empirical evidence on blended TVET effectiveness to the global UNESCO-UNEVOC knowledge base.

The online coaching component will continue through June 2026, with progress tracking and outcome assessment to inform iterative programme refinement and broader network dissemination.

About the UNEVOC Center of Shaanxi Polytechnic University

The UNEVOC Center of Shaanxi Polytechnic University is a leading TVET institution in China. The Centre promotes international cooperation in TVET, facilitates knowledge exchange among UNEVOC network members, and implements programmes that strengthen TVET systems in partner countries, with a particular focus on Africa and Asia.