cari_pb17_sunqiavicinternational-1-054f744fd5514f32.pdf

This policy brief examines the approach of AVIC International, a Chinese state-owned company, toward local skills development in Kenya. It argues that AVIC treats skills development as a top business priority, utilizing a flexible 'industrial bootstrapping' approach to create a variety of for-profit and CSR programs. While participants report high satisfaction and improved perceptions of Chinese firms, tangible outcomes such as machinery utilization and widespread job creation remain limited.

• AVIC International views local skills development as a primary business priority, motivated by both pragmatic goals—such as expanding into new business fields—and social considerations, including the belief that technical skills can empower young people in Africa.
• The company has implemented four distinct skills development projects in Kenya: two for-profit contracts with the government (one for the National Youth Service and one for vocational training institutions), a CSR-funded machining competition called the Africa Tech Challenge (ATC), and the Sino-Africa Industrial Skills Upgrading Center (SAISUC) for training instructors.
• AVIC employs a flexible 'industrial bootstrapping' methodology, characterized by experimentalism and pivoting based on feedback, rather than rigid planning. This approach led the company to expand from a single project to four as it identified successive barriers, such as the need for better instructor skills after realizing students were not utilizing provided machinery.
• Participants in AVIC's programs report high levels of satisfaction and a more positive view of Chinese companies. In a survey of 30 participants at the 2016 Africa Tech Challenge, 80% were 'very satisfied' and 25 of 29 respondents stated they had a 'more favorable' impression of Chinese companies.
• Despite positive participant feedback, tangible results are mixed. Machinery utilization in outfitted schools is only approximately 35%, and the programs have not produced widespread job creation, with only a few participants securing roles, primarily within AVIC or its affiliates.
• AVIC International is using its Kenyan skills development initiatives as a marketing tool to secure more business across Africa, having already started similar programs in Gabon, Ghana, Zambia, and Uganda.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). cari_pb17_sunqiavicinternational-1-054f744fd5514f32.pdf. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/CARI_PB17_SunQiAVICInternational-1.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. cari_pb17_sunqiavicinternational-1-054f744fd5514f32.pdf. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/CARI_PB17_SunQiAVICInternational-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=cari_pb17_sunqiavicinternational-1-054f744fd5514f32.pdf |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/CARI_PB17_SunQiAVICInternational-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndcaripb17sunqiavicinternational1054f744fd5514f32pdf, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{cari\_pb17\_sunqiavicinternational-1-054f744fd5514f32.pdf}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/CARI_PB17_SunQiAVICInternational-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }