Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) is one of the central threads running through EAES26 — an approach that shifts the focus from time spent in a classroom to the practical, industry-relevant competencies a graduate actually walks away with.

Since the first East African Employability Summit in 2023, CBET has moved from a policy talking point to a shared regional priority, with countries across the EAC reforming curricula to emphasise technical proficiency, digital capability, entrepreneurial mindset and transferable workplace skills.

EAES26 will take stock of that progress, spotlighting what is working in classrooms and Innovation Hubs across the region, and what it will take for Offices of Career Services to help students translate those competencies into real transitions into the job market.