One of Congo’s main challenges is to improve the qualifications of the workforce in order to meet the needs of employers. In the 2000s, the Congolese Government initiated the reform of its training system in order to support its development plan and the need to diversify its economy.
The Ministry of Technical and Vocational Education, Skills Training and Employment (METPFQE) decided to deploy vocational skills training programmes to give public institutions the means to train young Congolese people and provide them with the skills sought by employers.
The first education, training and apprenticeship centre (CEFA) was set up in Brazzaville in 2009 for refrigeration and air conditioning activities.
In 2016, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Congolese Ministry requested Expertise France’s support for training the management staff of CEFAs, setting up sandwich courses, and developing school projects and technical and pedagogical training for trainers.
This support has continued with a wider scope in order to create a network dynamic among the five existing CEFAs. The support was financed by AFD’s Study and Capacity Building Fund (FERC) for 18 months starting in May 2018.
At the end of this support, Expertise France conducted a feasibility study at AFD’s request to define the current needs and issues and set up ambitious support planned over a 5-year period: the ARCEFA project.
The ARCEFA project was launched in September 2020 and aims to contribute to the development of vocational training via the CEFA network.
It will be implemented in two phases:
• The specific objective of the first phase will be to create the conditions needed to empower and ensure the sustainability of all six of the existing CEFAs;
• The specific objective of the second phase, which depends on operating budgets being secured by the Government, will be to set up a new CEFA for rural activities in Boko, in the Pool Department.
The project has three specific objectives:
1) Improve the capacities and teaching conditions of CEFAs, by boosting existing training programs and creating new programs in line with the needs expressed by industry.
2) Provide assistance to the contracting authority for the project management and technical assistance to strengthen the CEFA network and secure its institutional and financial framework, in partnership with Congolese industry.
3) Build a new CEFA for rural activities in the town of Boko.
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