Luban Workshops in Africa venture into digital skills training

An acclaimed Chinese vocational program is expanding its skills training in Africa beyond traditional sectors and into the digital realm.

The Luban Workshop, China’s vocational workshop initiative training talent overseas, has for years served as a bridge for innovation and skills development between China and Africa.

Named after the ancient Chinese woodcraft master Lu Ban, the program offers a mutually beneficial model for vocational education cooperation.

In recent years, China-Africa cooperation has expanded from traditional infrastructure projects into emerging fields, and talent training efforts have followed suit.

At Machakos University in Kenya, one Luban Workshop has moved beyond textbook instruction to address the actual needs of the digital economy.

“Initially, we had students training mostly on theoretical aspects of computing or technology, but through the Luban Workshops, students are able to have more time to do their practicals,” said Eric Omuya, Chairman of the Department of Computing and Information Technology, Machakos University.

The approach is known as EPIP: engineering provides the foundation, practice sharpens skills, innovation generates ideas, and projects tackle national challenges.

The EPIP training prioritizes practical skill acquisition, placing great emphasis on hands-on proficiency.

“We emphasize on 70 percent practical, hands-on skills, and then we let them do the 30 percent, which is actual theory coverage,” said Humphrey Mwambaji, a technologist at the Luban Workshop, Machakos University.

That hands-on focus has led to initiatives such as “Swiftly Remit,” where students apply blockchain technology to break through the billion-dollar bottleneck in international money transfers. Their work is receiving national recognition.

“The Ministry of ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) and Digital Economy in Kenya is trying to come up with the ICT policy on AI, and Machakos University staff, myself included, are participating in that process,” said Omuya.

The model is expanding beyond Kenya. At the Tianjin Modern Vocational Technology College in north China, a separate but parallel initiative is taking root, sharing this high-level expertise with partners in Morocco and Tanzania.

“In many African countries, Chinese companies have established related enterprises or production lines. With the export of these production technologies, we have a situation where many local enterprises urgently need high-skilled technical talents in their industries,” said Yue Kun, Dean of the School of Intelligent Engineering, Tianjin Modern Vocational Technology College.

The initiative goes beyond computers. In Tanzania and Morocco, specialized teams are using AI-powered drones to transform farming practices, boosting efficiency by up to 1,000 times.

“While expanding production efficiency, we can also reduce pesticide usage to 10-15 percent of the original amount. At the same time, we can reduce water usage to about one-third of the original. In this way, through the application of technology, we have both improved production efficiency and avoided waste of local resources, saved water, and reduced pesticide pollution,” said Yue.

Luban Workshops in Africa venture into digital skills training

Luban Workshops in Africa venture into digital skills training

Several airlines have announced reductions in scheduled flights as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has driven up oil prices, which are posing a challenge to the global aviation industry.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby on Friday announced the company will reduce its planned capacity by about 5 percent in the second and third quarters of 2026 to cope with soaring aviation fuel costs caused by high oil prices.

If prices hold at current elevated levels, the company could face an extra 11 billion U.S. dollars in annual fuel expenses.

Air New Zealand has already implemented cuts, announcing it will reduce around 1,100 flights through early May 2026, equivalent to about five percent of its domestic and international scheduled services. The move is expected to impact roughly 44,000 passengers.

Scandinavian Airlines has also confirmed plans to cancel around 1,000 flights in April 2026.

In Vietnam, authorities have warned the local aviation sector to prepare for possible flight cuts in April, due to the increasing risks of aviation fuel supply shortages.

Fuel costs are one of the largest operating expenses for airlines. Recent market data shows benchmark prices jumping from the range of 85-90 U.S. dollars per barrel to 150-200 U.S. dollars per barrel in recent weeks.

To offset pressures, several carriers including Qantas, Air France-KLM and Air India, have implemented fare increases or higher fuel surcharges on various routes.

Airlines reduce scheduled flights to cope with soaring oil prices