Funded by a 2% tax on wages and international support, the Central African Agency for Vocational Training and Employment works for the integration of young people and women as a priority, but is overwhelmed by the scale of the tasks. Business leaders and trainers who agree on one point: the solution lies in reforming the Central African education system.
From our correspondent in Bangui,
The successive crises experienced by the Central African Republic have not only worsened the economy but also the education system … More than half of young people of school age have now dropped out of school.
For Isabelle Dessande, head of Sofia, a microcredit company: “The schools that have experienced white years, the levels of education that have drastically decreased … Today, there are areas in the Central African Republic where there are no schools. Young people who have not gone to school are now active young men without any education.What do you do with it? she asks.
Lack of qualifications
80% of 20-30 year olds survive by working in the informal sector which is not appreciated by companies. “These young people who have sometimes lost their parents, who no longer have the means, need support and that we recognize the work they do, even if it is in the informal sector. This is what contributes to the development of this country, says Pamela Derom, chair of the youth council.
The problem is therefore not the available amount of labor but the lack of skills. “For example, it takes no less than a year to train a plumber. Mechanics, sewing, electricity, we have a great shortage of labor in these areas, explains Pierrot Yoele, Director General of the Central African Vocational Training Agency.
The paradox of the Central African labor market
Proof of the existence of the will, for 600 available training places, the agency has received more than 18,000 applications. On the business side, Isabelle Dessande says that she receives at least 500 CVs per job offer.
“This is the whole paradox of our labor market. On the one hand young people who are available and want to work and on the other hand companies that are looking for people, says Thierry Max Christian Zuma, director of education at AFCPE. Then add: “The problem stems from the fact that the training offered to young Central Africans does not take into account the needs of companies in terms of staff and skills. The problem is the Central African education system.
Objective: work study?
The proposed solutions? Formalize and modernize traditional learning circles. But also to open efficient and well-equipped technical training centers. Last but not least: develop work study programs. It is still necessary for companies to find their account there.
Many still prefer to recruit an operational employee from abroad rather than invest in long and expensive training, without any guarantee that the apprentice will not participate in the competition. To apply these solutions, everyone calls for the creation of a framework for public-private consultation.
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