Ethiopia Expands Recognition of Prior Learning to Boost Skills, Jobs and Inclusion

A major milestone toward operationalizing RPL is the recent training of new RPL assessors in Hawassa, equipping them with practical tools to evaluate real-world skills and issue credible certifications.

Ethiopia is taking major steps toward building a more inclusive and opportunity-rich labour market through the nationwide rollout of its Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) system—an initiative designed to formally acknowledge the skills workers gain outside classroom settings. Supported by the ILO Global Skills Programme (GSP), the initiative is helping ensure that skills gained through experience, informal work, or traditional pathways are valued alongside those obtained through formal education.

This reform is crucial in a country where large numbers of workers develop competencies on the job—in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, artisanal trades, hospitality, ICT, mining, and countless informal-sector occupations—yet remain locked out of better employment because they lack official certification.

A major milestone toward operationalizing RPL is the recent training of new RPL assessors in Hawassa, equipping them with practical tools to evaluate real-world skills and issue credible certifications.

Building a System That Recognizes Every Skill

The training brought together participants from across multiple regions, government bodies, and sectors. Through hands-on exercises, they explored:

• The core principles of RPL

• Standardized assessment processes

• Use of RPL evidence tools, portfolio reviews and competency interviews

• ILO-aligned assessment criteria and decision-making guidelines

• Quality assurance procedures to ensure fairness and integrity

A highlight was a full mock assessment and certification simulation, where trainees evaluated sample candidates—from reviewing portfolios and work samples to conducting competency conversations and verifying evidence. This practical experience helped participants deepen their understanding of how to measure skills gained outside formal schooling.

On the final day, assessors developed regional and sectoral action plans outlining concrete next steps to introduce RPL in their communities. These plans will guide Ethiopia’s first RPL pilot programmes, focusing on priority sectors aligned with national economic transformation goals.

Addressing the Gap: Millions of Skilled Workers, But No Documentation

For many workers, the absence of formal certification creates barriers to:

• Decent employment

• Career mobility

• Higher wages

• Professional recognition

• Access to further training

Ashenafi Semerga of the Gurage Zone TVET Technology Transfer and Industry Extension Directorate described the challenges:

“Workers who are not recognized formally often face low pay, slow professional development, and limited confidence. RPL bridges the gap by validating real-world experience within the national qualification framework.”

Ashenafi, now an RPL assessor, says his training will directly benefit workers in his region:

“By assessing workers fairly, I can help them transform what they already know into recognized qualifications. This opens doors to job opportunities, builds confidence, and contributes to a more motivated workforce.”

Early Insights: MSMEs and Gender Dynamics

The pilot countries have already assembled Ethiopia’s first digital RPL-linked repository of enterprise data, covering more than 3,900 economic units across sectors such as construction, agriculture, manufacturing and services.

Initial findings include:

• 70%+ of registered economic units are micro and small enterprises (MSMEs)—a segment rarely reached by formal inspection and training systems.

• Women make up:

  • 20% of workers in micro and small enterprises

  • 60% of workers in large enterprises, particularly manufacturing

These insights highlight emerging gender and enterprise-size disparities, enabling authorities to design targeted policies for equity, skills development, and decent work.

Supporting Ethiopia’s Economic Transformation

RPL is central to Ethiopia’s national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Strategy, which aims to:

• Reduce unemployment

• Improve workforce quality

• Strengthen competitiveness

• Boost productivity

• Promote inclusion for marginalized groups

• Address skills mismatches in growing sectors

The ILO Global Skills Programme supports this agenda through:

• Technical expertise

• Training and capacity building

• Development of standardized RPL tools

• Monitoring and quality assurance frameworks

• Policy guidance and institutional strengthening

By professionalizing the assessment process, ILO’s support ensures Ethiopia’s RPL system is credible, transparent and aligned with international best practice.

What Comes Next: Pilots and National Scaling

With a trained cadre of assessors now in place, Ethiopia is preparing to launch pilot RPL assessments in targeted sectors. Following evaluation and refinement, the system will be expanded nationwide in phases through 2026–2027.

The long-term benefits are significant:

For workers:

• Recognition of skills gained through experience

• Access to better jobs and higher wages

• Improved confidence and mobility

• Entry into formal training pathways

For employers:

• Clearer understanding of workforce skills

• Reduced skills mismatches

• Productivity improvements

• Better alignment with national qualification standards

For the country:

• A more skilled labour force

• Greater inclusion and equity

• Improved national competitiveness

• Stronger alignment with economic development goals

A Pathway to Decent Work and Lifelong Learning

As Ethiopia scales its RPL system, the newly trained assessors will play a pivotal role in ensuring every skill counts, regardless of where it was acquired. Their work will help thousands of workers access formal recognition, economic opportunity, and lifelong learning.

By validating skills learned through experience, Ethiopia is not just modernizing its talent pipeline—it is empowering its people, strengthening industries, and creating a more resilient, inclusive, and opportunity-rich future for all.