About EAES26
3rd East African Employability Summit & Uongozi Career Awards
Our Mission
The overarching mission of the East African Employability Summit 2026 (EAES26) is to consolidate the gains and track the impact of the outcomes of the inaugural and second summits while advancing innovative, inclusive, and sustainable approaches to youth employability across East Africa. Building on previous achievements, the third edition will focus on strengthening regional collaboration and harnessing inter-sectoral partnerships in education and training, Competency-Based Education (CBE), labour migration, trade and investment, entrepreneurship, and policy reforms to address barriers to skills mobility and employment.
Recognizing the rapidly evolving world of work, EAES26 seeks to champion Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) as a transformative approach to developing graduates and young professionals who possess the practical competencies, technical expertise, digital capabilities, entrepreneurial mindset, and transferable skills required by today’s labour market.
Objectives of EAES26
- Assess the contributions of various sectors in facilitating skills mobility.
- Promote skills-based learning and training to equip individuals with future-ready competencies.
- Re-evaluate the Academia-Public-Private Partnership to leverage entrepreneurship and creativity in the development of on-campus Innovation Hubs.
- Identify, recognize, and amplify the efforts of individuals and institutions that are promoting career and skills development in East Africa.
- Evaluate the progress of implementing the Common Higher Education Area in enhancing student and professional transitioning within the EAC.
- Strengthen the role of Offices of Career Services in assisting students in gaining clarity in their career paths.
- Emphasize the importance of embracing digital transformation in training today’s and future youth in the EAC.
- Promote Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) by advancing education and training systems that equip learners with industry-relevant competencies.
Context
The East African Community (EAC) is arguably the youngest region on the continent, with a median age of under 18 years. Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Burundi, and South Sudan record median ages of between 15 and 16 years — approximately three years younger than the continental average. This youthful population is under increasing pressure to acquire the competencies, skills, and knowledge required to secure meaningful employment in a rapidly changing labour market.
Although countries have increased investment in education as a proportion of GDP, challenges including inequality, limited access to quality education, conflict, and insecurity continue to disrupt learning, training, and skills development across the region. Many employers continue to report a mismatch between graduates’ competencies and labour market requirements, underscoring the need for stronger education-industry collaboration and more responsive skills development systems.
Building on EAES23 and EAES24
In 2023, the Corporate Career Academy (CCA), with the support of stakeholders, convened the inaugural East African Employability Summit (EAES23) in Nairobi, hosted by the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. The Summit brought together more than 2,000 delegates, over 100 speakers, 50 higher learning institutions and TVETs, development partners, government representatives, employers, and other stakeholders from 32 countries.
Building on these achievements, EAES24 was co-convened by CCA and the East African Business Council (EABC), and further expanded its strategic partnerships by bringing on board the African Union Commission, which officially launched the One Million Next Level (1MNL) Initiative in Kenya. Riding on this momentum, EAES26 seeks to consolidate the gains made, track the impact of previous commitments, and build on the strong foundation established over the past two editions — with a long-term vision of hosting the Summit across all East African Community Partner States.
Who We Are For
The Summit is designed for a diverse audience involved in the higher education sector, TVETs, post-training and skills development partners, the out-of-school youth ecosystem, governments, non-government organizations, the private sector, and development partners facilitating access to innovative learning, skills transfer, and labour migration — as well as end users, including recruiters, employers, and industry leaders.