Angola: Training the technicians of tomorrow

“In Angola, just over 50,000 young people are trained in public vocational training centres, at all levels. In this field, RETFOP targets level 2 and 3 training centres, which is equivalent to the BEP/CAP in France. The centres are managed by the Ministry of Public Administration, Employment and Social Security”, explains José da Costa, a technical assistant for the “vocational training” component of RETFOP.

One of the issues is to tailor training content to market needs. “The objective is to set up a system able to identify and analyse business needs, in relation to the technological advances of each sector – for example the automotive, construction and agrifood industries…”, continues José da Costa. “Economic diversification is one of the Government’s priorities, as the Angolan economy, which derives over 90% of its revenues from the mining industry, has been hard hit by the fall in oil prices”, he points out. Consequently, RETFOP has conducted a baseline study, which has confirmed the list of the five sectors with the highest economic potential: agriculture, fishing, environment/water management/waste management, animal health, transport/logistics. The tourism sector was added following the baseline study, which was completed in 2019.

Revitalising public training provision, in conjunction with companies

In these sectors, it now involves calibrating high-quality public training provision. “There is a real gap between public provision and private provision: there are 146 public vocational training centres in the country, against 650 private centres”, explains José da Costa. Yet while certain private centres work well, private provision does not always mean quality. The result: companies have to call on expatriates due to the lack of a local skilled workforce.

The challenge also lies in connecting training to companies in order to improve young people’s employability, via vocationally-oriented training. This involves anticipating the end of training courses by supervising the use of internships. José da Costa points out that it is “crucial to involve companies to ensure that training is an investment: it allows them to subsequently benefit from an operational workforce”.  

Twelve trades and six pilot provinces

Among the 162 trades identified in the 5 sectors, the baseline study has selected 12 trades whose curricula will be revised on a pilot basis. RETFOP will train 120 trainers in these fields, both technically and pedagogically. In addition, one training centre per province will be equipped for training in one of these 12 trades. “RETFOP needs to demonstrate that with financial and material resources, training and interinstitutional coordination, we are able to deliver results”, explains José da Costa. This will subsequently allow the authorities to consider extending the apprenticeships in these 12 trades to other training centres.

To implement the project, the experts mobilised will support the Angolan institutions, with the aim of building their capacities. “This will involve strengthening coordination between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Employment because, as in France, technical education and vocational training are two systems managed by different entities”, he adds. In partnership with the Camões Institute, which is handling the overall coordination of RETFOP, Expertise France will implement the activities of the vocational training component, with the other project components focusing on technical education and the training of executives from vocational training and technical education at national level.

Find out more about the RETFOP project