Learning curve In Gabon, a multi-sectoral training centre has been launched to equip the country with the local skills that it urgently requires in its mission to build a strong and diversified economy. The International Multi-sectoral Centre for Vocational Education and Training Centre has been established, under a government framework, in the Nkok special economic zone in north-western Gabon. It can accommodate a total of 1 000 learners who will be trained in mechanical engineering, maintenance of agricultural construction machinery, welding engineering, computer maintenance, refrigeration and air-conditioning engineering. The facility, built on 14 ha, comprises 32 buildings equipped with ‘high-tech teaching equipment’, with the potential for further expansion. The launch follows the UN Economic Commission for Africa’s call for a move from rote methods to a more progressive approach to vocational, scientific and technological learning to enhance transformation and economic diversification in Central Africa. 27 April 2021 Image: Gallo/Getty Images