DOI: 10.11648/j.ajetm.20261104.11 ISSN: 2575-1441

Strengthening Industry–TVET Linkage in Ethiopia: A Qualitative Systematic Review and Integrated Governance Framework

Seblewongel Haregewein, Srinivasa Mekapotula
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Industry–TVET linkage remains a persistent policy challenge in Ethiopia, driven by a continuing mismatch between technical and vocational education outcomes and evolving labour market demands. Although successive policy reforms and legal frameworks, most recently TVET Proclamation No. 1298/2023, mandate active collaboration between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and industries, these partnerships continue to be fragmented, informal, and inconsistently implemented across institutions and regions. As a result, challenges related to graduate employability, practical skills acquisition, workforce readiness, and cooperative training effectiveness persist. This study undertakes a qualitative systematic review to synthesize existing evidence on TVET–industry linkage practices, challenges, governance arrangements, and policy gaps in Ethiopia. The review is guided by Human Capital Theory and the Skill Mismatch Model to explain the relationship between training quality, industry engagement, and graduate employability outcomes. A total of 30 peer-reviewed articles and relevant policy documents, retrieved from Scopus and Google Scholar, were selected through systematic database searches following PRISMA guidelines and appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Thematic synthesis involving coding, categorization, and interpretive analysis was employed to identify recurring themes across studies. The synthesis reveals five major thematic clusters: (1) weak enterprise participation and cooperative training deficiencies; (2) curriculum–labour market misalignment; (3) governance fragmentation and exclusionary policy formulation; (4) resource constraints and institutional capacity gaps; and (5) emerging digital transformation challenges. Cross-cutting findings indicate that these challenges are systemic and mutually reinforcing rather than isolated. The review proposes an evidence-based integrated framework for strengthening TVET–industry partnerships in Ethiopia, emphasizing binding governance mechanisms, inclusive policy development, curriculum co-design, institutionalized incentive systems, and digital capacity-building.

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