Indeed, the position of Mozambique cannot be different from most other developing nations, where much of its future economic success relies on developing a qualified and adaptable workforce. Of equal importance, in struggling with emerging problems and opportunities brought about by globalization, digitalization, and demographic changes, it will become genuinely urgent to make the corresponding investment in education and training.

The paper reviews recent developments in education and workforce creation in Mozambique, the challenges faced, and strategic investments that need to be made to ensure a skilled workforce for the future.

• Economic growth for Mozambique is pegged on a skilled workforce.
• There are significant gaps in literacy and numeracy among working-age people. 
• Investments in education and training are critical for resilience and growth.
• Emphasis should be given to early childhood education, technical and vocational training, and acquisition of digital skills.
• Urgent attention is needed to address gender disparities in education.

The workforce in Mozambique is developing in times of technological transformation and changing economic imperatives. As an economy driven majorly by agriculture, mining, and recently discovered natural gas deposits, the need for a skilled workforce could never be more urgent than now. It also faces many significant challenges, including low literacy levels, inadequate educational infrastructure, and substantial gender imbalances in access to education.

Though the Mozambican educational system has improved in specific ways over the past few decades, it still faces many challenges. According to the World Bank, this insinuates low literacy and numeracy rates since most adults cannot perform simple reading and writing tasks. Nearly 40 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and by far, most have limited access to quality education in rural areas.

ECE is foundational; investments are essential because academic studies have shown that foundational skills children acquire in their early learning years set up their future and workforce outcomes. On the contrary, the ECE enrollment rates in Mozambique are meager compared to others within Sub-Saharan Africa, underlining a key area for improvement.

1. Early Childhood Education, ECE

ECE is indeed a significant investment. Early childhood development programs have huge returns in terms of better school preparedness and higher educational achievement that eventually leads to greater productivity during adult life. Existing ECE programs have to be enhanced, more so in disadvantaged areas. According to the Brookings Institution, early investments in children’s education lead to increased cognitive and social skills necessary for future job performance.

2. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

The World Bank has pointed out that TVET has become instrumental in closing the skills gap. Concerning the situation in this country, much is yet to be done in terms of expansion and modernization of the country’s TVET programs so that they could respond to what the market demands on skills, particularly highly relevant sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, and new technologies. TVET offers an important avenue through which youth can deliberately reach workplaces, especially technical fields inadequately served by the growth of labor resulting from technological change. On the other hand, according to a World Bank report, approximately 60% of employers in Mozambique cannot find skilled workers due to a mismatch between the education system and labor markets.

3. Digital Literacy Skills

Digital literacy and skill in the workforce are, therefore, more critical in this era of digital transformation. These skills can be summarized as ranging from basics, such as how to use a computer, to sophisticated information technology acumen. Equipping Mozambique’s youth with some primary digital education through schools and vocational training will make them globally competitive in the job market. A piece of research by UNICEF indicates that introducing ICT—Information and Communication Technology—within the curriculum had a positive effect on increasing interest and better outcomes among students.

4. Educational equity between genders

Any inclusive growth should address gender gaps. Girls in Mozambique face a range of obstacles to their education, from socio-cultural norms and traditions of early marriage to insecurity. Improving girls’ education will not only yield better economic outcomes; it will also yield broader social and health benefits. In effect, these findings show that women’s empowerment by education may result in an improved workforce with significant economic gains. According to the World Bank, only 11 percent of females in Mozambique have completed secondary school, compared to 22 percent of males, thus indicating a specific gender gap in educational attainments.

5. Infrastructures and Teachers’ Training

Improving educational infrastructure and investing in teacher education are ensuing factors for delivering quality education. Schools need better facilities, learning materials, and trained educators who can adopt modern pedagogical methods of teaching. Emphasis on teacher education will therefore ensure that teachers face any situation arising in a diverse class with adequate skill sets to impart knowledge to the learners.

6. Public-Private Partnerships

Educational outcomes could be pumped up by such a spur from partnerships that link government, the private sector, and international institutions. This would be accompanied by funding, technological supplies, and new ideas in innovative education programs. For instance, multinational companies can invest in local education systems as part of their corporate social responsibility to ensure a constant supply of skilled labor for operations in Mozambique. CSIS, Brookings.

7. Curriculum Reforms

The revision of the curriculum to accommodate 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and aspects of emotional intelligence is very important. This will be done by projects relating to comprehensive educational curricular reforms, which do not involve traditional subjects alone but also vocational, life, and other skills relevant to active participation in modern labor markets.

Programs like the UNICEF-supported “Learning for All” have been very instrumental in improving education outcomes in Mozambique. Such programs, through community engagement, teacher training, and provision of learning materials, improved participation and literacy. Other projects, like the “Skills for Employment” project financed by the World Bank, have also tried to upgrade the employability of Mozambican youth by giving them skillful training and improving the quality of technical education. Indeed, secondarily, the “Learning for All” initiative spurred a 15 percent increase in primary school enrollment in participating regions, showing how targeted educational programs can make a difference.

Challenges

• Underfunding: The Mozambique educational system has consistently been underfunded. With many schools lacking basic facilities, the government should be able to allocate more to education to build up and sustain schools, provide learning materials, and train teachers (World Bank) (CSIS).
• Impact of COVID-19: The pandemic has deepened inequalities further; scores of children have lost their chance to wards education because of the lockdown. Problems in this area can be definitely corrected by an integrated effort of all—government, civil society, and the international community.

Opportunities

The second most relevant asset for Mozambique is this young population. If properly invested, this demographic dividend could be how the country increases its economic growth and fuels development. Furthermore, the global tectonic shift into digital and green economies allows new opportunities not only to catch up but also to leapfrog classic development pathways and create a resilient and sustainable economy. The United Nations postulates that more than half of global population growth, from 2022 to 2050, is expected in Africa, while the population in sub-Saharan Africa will double by 2050.

Therefore, on the path to sustainable economic growth and resilience, Mozambique cannot afford to step down on strategic investment in education and training. Efforts in developing human resources, from early childhood education to technical-vocational education and training, developing digital literacy, closing the gender gaps in education, and putting up supportive solid infrastructure will get countries on the right track toward a thriving future where workers will be adequately equipped for a fast-paced, changing world.