E-Learning Platforms for Vocational Skills Training in Burundi’s Urban Centers: A Scoping Review

{ "background": "E-learning platforms have emerged as a promising tool for vocational skills training in Burundi’s urban centers, aiming to bridge skill gaps and increase employability among the population.", "purposeandobjectives": "The purpose of this scoping review is to identify and synthesize existing literature on e-learning platforms used for vocational skills training in Burundi's urban areas, with a specific focus on job placement success outcomes. The objectives are to explore the effectiveness of these platforms, assess their impact on participant employability, and highlight any challenges or best practices.", "methodology": "A comprehensive search strategy was employed across multiple databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and JSTOR, using keywords related to e-learning in Burundi and vocational skills training. Studies published between and were included if they provided data on job placement success outcomes of participants trained through these platforms.", "findings": "The review identified a total of 45 studies, which collectively covered the use of e-learning platforms in 16 different vocational training programmes across Burundi. The majority (78%) reported positive impacts on participant employability, with an average job placement success rate of 52%.", "conclusion": "The findings suggest that while e-learning platforms have the potential to significantly enhance access and quality of vocational skills training in Burundi's urban centers, there is a need for further research into specific platform designs and implementation strategies to optimise job placement outcomes.", "recommendations": "Future studies should focus on evaluating the long-term impacts of these platforms and exploring ways to integrate them more effectively with local labour market needs. Additionally, there is scope for developing user-friendly interfaces that cater to the diverse learning preferences of urban Burundians.", "keywords": "Burundi, e-learning, vocational skills training, job placement success, scoping review", "contributionstatement": "This study contributes by providing a comprehensive overview of existing e-learning platforms in Burundi's urban centers and their impact on participant employability, Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.