SFIVET on a fact-finding mission in Abidjan
Abidjan, 01.02.2018 – At the Invitation of the State Secretary of Vocational Education and Training, Mamadou Touré, a delegation from SFIVET travelled to the Ivory Coast in order to develop a cooperation in supporting vocational education and training.
The level of youth unemployment is a major challenge in Ivory Coast. The State Secretariat for Vocational Education and Training is committed to upgrade its training program, in order to offer the Youth new opportunities of quality education. The Swiss dual VET system and the SFIVET expertise had aroused interest among an Ivorian delegation during their visit in Switzerland, last June 2017.
The goal of the Swiss delegation's mission is to assess the present state of technical and vocational training in the Ivory Coast and to make proposals about a support to their reform, among others, the training of the trainers and curricula development. The final goal would lead to establish cooperation between both states. On that occasion, the Ambassador of Switzerland in the Ivory Coast, Thomas Litscher, received the delegation.
A sustained programme made it possible for the delegation to visit several vocational training centres, offering various types of training, such as building trades, watchmaking and jewellery, electricity, wood and metal carpentry, as well as hospitality and catering. For instance, the vocational centre of watchmaking of Abidjan, established by a donation by the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry in 1968, and the brand new multisectorial vocational centre of Yapougon, financed and equipped by the Foundation Mohammed VI of the King of Morocco.
It was also important to visit the Swiss Centre for Scientific Research and the Nestle's training centre, appreciated for the efforts they made to develop the training of their staff and apprentices.
All the criteria for a promising collaboration were met, especially in matters of support for the development of curricula, the training of the trainers and technical advices on the implementation of block release training education.