AVIC's ATC finalists honored in Season 6

"AVIC's aspiration is to give back to Africa, benefit the young people of Africa and provide them with possibilities of change.

"I am pleased to note that for the last six years, the tech challenge's aspirations have not changed and we will continue to uphold the original vision of the project," he said.

From 2014, eight countries, 200 institutes and 700 contestants have benefitted from the project, he said.

AVIC has also signed manufacturing contracts worth over $500,000 for exporting "Made in Africa" products to China since the first season.

He said that most participants have quickly secured jobs after graduation on account of their experience gained from the competition.

The World Bank co-sponsored the event for the first time.

Liang Xiaoyan, lead education specialist and team leader of the East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project, a World Bank program, said such competitions not only cultivate skills but also provide second chances for youths.

"In many advanced societies, technical and vocational education training, or TVET, has become an integral part of the industrialization system," she said.

"TVET is more relevant in Africa as East African countries continue to experience rapid economic development and demand for skilled labor rises.

"The region, however, faces an acute shortage of specialized and technical-level skills, for example in IT, transport, energy, manufacturing and agricultural sectors, which, if not addressed urgently, will seriously damage our industrialization ambitions," said Liang.