Research

Skills Formation Systems

This research area examines how skills systems can better support inclusive development and sustainability. Rather than viewing skills only through supply-and-demand frameworks, REAL explores how education, training systems, industrial development, and labour markets interact.

Research focuses on how industrialisation, technological change, and environmental transitions are reshaping work and skills needs in Africa. It also examines how education and training institutions can become more responsive and adaptable in supporting both immediate skills needs and long-term development goals.

Understanding the broader social, political, and institutional context of skills formation is central to this work, particularly as countries navigate sustainability transitions and shifts in the nature of work.

Learning and Work Transitions

This research area explores how people move between education, learning, and work, particularly in contexts marked by inequality and labour market uncertainty.

REAL investigates how education systems prepare individuals for different forms of work, how knowledge and expertise are developed in both formal and workplace settings, and what institutional conditions support successful transitions into meaningful employment.

Research also examines the role education can play in contexts where informal work is prevalent, and how learning pathways can contribute to work that benefits both individuals and society.