"It is our sincere hope that we can help African people improve their capabilities and skills and increase the employment rate of young people based on local demand through the ATC," said Qian Rong, general manager of AVIC INTL Project Engineering Company, a subsidiary of AVIC International.

"Making Africa a different place can only be made possible by investing in skills, and the ATC will make a major impact in skills development in Africa and Kenya," said Bernard Shikoli Isalambo, deputy director of the State Department for Vocational and Technical Training, Ministry of Education of Kenya, during the ceremony. "The ATC is not just a competition and it will be a mindset change for youngsters in all the participating countries."

"It is very important for Zambia to participate in this challenge because for the students and mentors it will be an opportunity to train and enhance their skills and form new bonds with other countries," said Esther Mondoloka, senior TEVET officer of skills development, Ministry of Technology and Science of Zambia. Mondoloka also shared that being part of it is "in line with the government's agenda of empowering the youth with the skills they require to better their lives and enhance their opportunities."