CCI Wallonie engaged in a training project in Senegal

The authorities in charge of the Archipelago programme have just granted a subsidy to a project in which CCI Wallonie is involved. This project aims to develop a “work-linked training – professional integration” scheme in four regions of Senegal. It is managed by APEFE (cooperation operator for Wallonia Brussels International) and also includes in the consortium the Senegalese Chambers of Commerce of Dakar (already in partnership with CCI Wallonie), Jourbel, Kolda and Louga, as well as the Aquaculture Research and Education Centre (CEFRA) of the University of Liège and the Senegalese national office of vocational training (ONFP Sénégal). This project will last 28 months and represents a budget of 600,000 euros.

CCI Wallonie is involved in the following aspects of this project:

  • The implementation of a short training course in entrepreneurship,
  • The set-up of “train-the-trainer” sessions for the Senegalese Chambers of commerce,
  • The creation of contacts between of entrepreneurs, notably from Senegal and Wallonia, as well as between Chambers of commerce,
  • The identification of new services aimed at young companies and potential entrepreneurs,
  • The support needed to implement these new services;
  • The support it can give to clustering.

This project therefore represents a local action in an emerging country.

To know more about Archipelago…

The Archipelago programme, financed by the European Union under its Emergency Fund for Africa, aims to support the creation of jobs, both qualitative and sustainable, in countries in Central and West Africa (Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Ivory Coast, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Nigeria).

It thus aims to respond to the difficulties created on the continent by economic and social exclusion, marginalisation and structural situations of inequality that lead to irregular migration. Its goal is to increase professional capacities, employability and local employment opportunities thanks to the development of capacities answering the needs of the private sector. The Archipelago programme thus supports Euro-African partnerships between business support structures and vocational and technical training institutions.

The financial resources of the programme are 15 million euros for a period of 48 months, starting in December 2018, with a target of 10,500 young people and entrepreneurs involved. The allocated budget of the projects involved in this programme must be between €400,000 and €600,000.

The desired results are as follows:

The private sector and young people are informed and made aware of the opportunities offered by vocational training;

The training provided enables young people to acquire skills corresponding to the needs of the private sector and the economic potential identified;

Local economic development and entrepreneurship are encouraged and public-private dialogue is improved.

The partners in the Archipelago management consortium are SEQUA (German private sector development agency), EUROCHAMBRES and CPCCAF (Standing Conference of African and Francophone Consular Chambers).