Rwanda will host the Future Skills Forum 2025 from June 1 to 5, bringing together leaders in education, government, and industry to tackle the urgent challenge of skills development. The forum will combine three major events into one platform: the TVET Expo, Global Skills Connect, and the Inter-Ministerial Summit. Organised by the Rwanda TVET Board and Rwanda Polytechnic, the forum reflects Rwanda’s push to make technical and vocational education central to economic growth, job creation, and youth empowerment. The forum is expected to attract over 350 participants, feature more than 30 expert speakers, and welcome delegates from 43 countries. It aims to strengthen collaboration between training institutions, the private sector, and policymakers so that education systems can better match labour market needs. Future Skills Forum 2025 will focus on practical solutions to close skills gaps in key sectors like construction, agriculture, ICT, manufacturing, and hospitality. The event will include skills competitions, exhibitions of vocational training innovations, and high-level policy discussions. ALSO READ: Four key things about Rwanda's upcoming TVET Centers of Excellence The director general of the Rwanda TVET Board, Paul Umukunzi, highlighted that the main goal of the upcoming forum is to push the TVET sector toward greater alignment with the job market needs. “This is not just another event, it’s a necessary intervention, where we’re bringing training providers and employers face to face to ask: Are we training for what the market actually needs? Umukunzi said at a news conference on May 28. People need to see the link between learning and earning, and the exhibition is our way of opening the doors and saying, Here’s what we teach. Here’s how it applies in the real world,” he said. He continued to explain that the TVET Expo is designed to make the sector more visible and accountable but not just to government stakeholders, but to the public. Young people, parents, and community members will get to see firsthand what kind of training is offered by Rwanda TVET and how it connects to actual jobs. ALSO READ: Rwanda Polytechnic launches ‘Skills Challenge’ to drive innovation, industrial growth According to the Vice Chancellor of Rwanda Polytechnic, Sylvie Mucyo, the forum presents a critical opportunity to show that technical education is not theoretical; it is applied, evolving, and directly tied to the country’s industrial transformation. “This conference is not just for visibility, it’s for accountability, and we have to prove that the skills we provide today meet the needs of tomorrow’s economy, she said. Mucyo also highlighted the importance of the skills competition and expo components of the event, which she believes are essential in building a culture of excellence and self-confidence in TVET learners. “Competitions like these force students to perform under pressure and apply what they’ve learned in real scenarios. It’s not just about winning, but it’s about raising the bar higher,” she said. She added that the conference brings attention to the importance of TVET education in the country's development. “People need to see what TVET education can produce. That’s what the forum is about, changing perceptions by showing outcomes,” Mucyo said.
