COVID-19's wake-up call: Finding ways to make digital and remote learning a reality

This Learning Brief documents how African TVET institutions rapidly adapted to COVID-19 lockdowns through Technology Enabled Learning (TEL) solutions. Drawing on experiences from institutions across the continent, it captures institutional pivots to digital platforms (Zoom, WhatsApp, Google Classroom), curriculum adaptations, and emerging blended learning models. Key lessons emphasize the non-negotiable need for technology in Fourth Industrial Revolution-aligned skills development, equitable access to devices and data for disadvantaged youth, youth digital readiness and resilience, evolving trainer roles from lecturer to facilitator/mentor, and sustainability measures including public-private partnerships and systemic skills planning. The brief highlights welcome surprises—youth technological fluency, innovation capacity, and collaboration—while addressing ongoing challenges of access and the imperative for sustained investment in technology-enabled TVET delivery.