Promotion of vocational training ProFoP
Benin faces a structural mismatch between the skills produced by its Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system and the actual demands of its labour market. Public training institutions operate largely in isolation from the private sector, resulting in graduates who are inadequately prepared for employment, particularly in high-potential sectors such as agriculture, agri-food, renewable energies, and digital technologies. Youth unemployment and informal employment remain significant challenges, with women disproportionately affected by limited access to decent work and stable income.
The ProFoP project (Promotion de la Formation Professionnelle) responds directly to this challenge by supporting Benin's Ministère des Enseignements Secondaire, Technique et de la Formation Professionnelle (MESTFP) in reforming its TVET system. The project aims to establish a sustainable, cooperative model of vocational training aligned with private sector needs, embedding dual and work-linked training approaches as a structural feature of the national education framework.
Disciplines
- Skills and Economic Development
Client
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Duration
From 2025 to 2027
Location
Benin
Project Activities
Institutional Component
- Strengthening governance and steering capacities of the MESTFP and relevant public bodies to lead and sustain TVET reform
- Building public-private partnership (PPP) mechanisms at local level, enabling structured cooperation between training institutions and enterprises
- Conducting information campaigns to promote the role of companies as training actors and foster private sector engagement in formal TVET
- Developing and implementing capacity-reinforcement plans for companies seeking to establish or expand their in-house training functions
- Supporting knowledge management and institutional learning processes to embed reforms sustainably
Technical Component
- Designing and piloting dual vocational training programmes in TVET institutions and partner companies across priority sectors:
- Agriculture and agri-food
- Renewable energies
- Digital technologies and ICT
- Other forward-looking sectors relevant to the labour market
- Developing teaching and learning materials tailored to cooperative, work-linked training methodologies
- Training teachers and company-based trainers in cooperative TVET approaches and sector-specific technical content
- Implementing work-linked training (alternance) programmes directly within enterprises
- Supporting career guidance services, including:
- Strengthening the capacity of guidance counsellors and placement service providers
- Developing a multi-channel communication strategy to raise awareness of vocational pathways
- Running communication and awareness campaigns targeting youth and families
- Promoting the development of students' individual professional projects
- Providing additional transition-to-employment support and follow-up measures
Impact
- Improved institutional framework: The project strengthens Benin's national governance architecture for TVET, directly supporting the implementation of ongoing vocational training reform, thus contributing to a more responsive, demand-driven education system.
- Private sector integration: By institutionalising public-private cooperation mechanisms, ProFoP creates the conditions for companies to become sustainable, active partners in skills development, therefore reducing the structural gap between training supply and labour market demand.
- Expanded access to decent work: The project particularly targets women and young people, improving their access to quality vocational training and job placement services in sectors with strong growth potential.
- Sector-specific skills development: Piloting cooperative training in renewable energies and digital technologies positions Benin to develop a locally skilled workforce aligned with green and digital economic transitions.
- Long-term systemic change: Through the transfer of methodologies, trainer capacity, and institutional knowledge, ProFoP supports outcomes that extend beyond the project period, embedding cooperative TVET as a structural feature of Benin's education and employment ecosystem.
Contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
We are committed to making a positive impact and supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This project contributes to the following SDGs:
Project Images
