On July 3, 2025, the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training chaired the elective general assembly of the Public Interest Group (GIP) for the Douala and Edea Sectoral Vocational Training Centers (CFPS) project at GECAM headquarters in Douala.
The project seeks to establish 2 Ssctoral Vocational training centers in Douala and Edea. A government initiative implemented with support from the French Development Agency as part of the debt reduction and Development Contract (C2D).
Both parties expressed the interest their city has in this project. They also reaffirmed their willingness to support the initiative, which will address the challenges of matching training and employment.
From the presentation of the project by its coordinator, it is structured around three components: Launch and transitional phase; support for project management and monitoring; and support for the establishment of CFPS.
Regarding the technical situation, in Douala, the progress of construction work is estimated at 23% while in Edea, it is 55%.
More than 1,000 employees of local and French companies and organizations have been trained and certified in various modules.
The sectors include automotive mechatronics, industrial refrigeration technicians, industrial maintenance electromechanics, vehicle and industrial machinery repair mechanics, professional heavy vehicle drivers, vehicle technical inspectors, road transport company managers, logistics technicians, dock managers and warehouse workers, and finally, 16 training advisors trained. This is a first assessment that is highly encouraging.
During the ceremony, Mounouna Foutsou on behalf of MINEFOP and Célestin Tawamba for GECAM, signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the management and administration of the CFPS of Douala and Edea.
Regarding the election of the governing bodies for each Public Interest Group, the positions to be filled are a president, a vice-president, an auditor, and a rapporteur. In addition, 10 members, including 3 from the public sector and 7 from the private sector, of the Management Committee are to be read.
Three CFPS representatives are statutorily members. The President of the said committee will be elected by the members.
Minister Mounouna Foutsou emphasized that "the Debt Reduction and Development Contract, was born from the 2nd C2D between the Republic of Cameroon and the French Republic, in reference to the Strategy Document for Growth and Employment, now reoriented towards the National Development Strategy 2020-2030 and in line with the Vision of Cameroon by 2035.
Discussions initiated with the Financing Agreement of the 2nd generation C2D Program signed in 2014, are in accordance with the Public-Private Partnership prescribed in Laws No. 2010/023 of December 21, 2010 governing the GIP in Cameroon and No. 2018/010 of July 11, 2018 governing Vocational Training in Cameroon as well as its implementing texts.
Also, several meetings with the Productive Sector have held since 2017 as part of a consensual approach which resulted in the adoption of the Public Interest Group as the legal status of the CFPS, some of whose tools have just been presented by the Coordination of the C2D-Vocational Training Program.
"In accordance with the SND30, this is a paradigm shift that we must make. A real change of mentality or mindset as promoted by PRONEC-REAMORCE, to orient more of our young people towards vocational training, training adapted to the needs of the economy, with the participation of all, public and private sectors, civil society, parents, trainers, learners themselves".