Mission to Côte d’Ivoire focuses on TVSD Quality Node

On January 22 and 23, 2014, Mr. Hamidou Boukary, Acting Executive Secretary of ADEA, met in Abidjan with Moussa Dosso, State Minister for Employment, Social Affairs and Vocational Training of Côte d’Ivoire, to discuss the future of the Inter-Country Quality Node on Technical and Vocational Skills Development (ICQN-TVSD) and the upcoming ministerial conference on integration of youth into the workforce.

The meeting was also attended by Richard Walther, the ICQN’s principal expert, and Amara Kamaté, the ICQN-TVSD coordinator in the ministry.
The following items concerning the restructuring of the ICQN-TVSD were discussed:
-    creation of a unit within the ministry, to be headed by the ICQN coordinator, with technical support from a TVSD expert;
-    creation of a consultative committee of recognized TVSD experts;
-    participation by the minister heading up the ICQN in all meetings of the ADEA Bureau of African Ministers, so that the Bureau is kept regularly informed of the ICQN’s activities.
To establish the ICQN’s role as a regional platform of TVSD expertise, it was recommended that it set up a network of experts, focal points in participating countries and a partnership framework to involve international technical and financial partners, particularly Asian countries.
The meeting also discussed the need to build up the ICQN’s awareness-raising and communication capacities.
Concerning the Ministerial Conference on Youth Employment, scheduled for July 21-23, 2014, in Abidjan, the preparations are well in hand:
-    financial contributions have been obtained from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the German international cooperation agency (GIZ) and the African Development Bank;
-    an experts’ meeting will be held on March 31-April 1, 2014, to prepare the agenda;
-    more than 17 countries have declared that they will participate. Among others, the French and German ministers of technical and vocational education and training have expressed strong interest.
For further information, please contact Hamidou Boukary, Officer in charge, ADEA; e-mail: h.boukary@afdb.org