MURAMVYA August 29th (ABP) – The Resident Representative of Enabel in Burundi, Mr. AbouEl Mahassine Fassi-Fahri, within the framework of Belgian-Burundian cooperation, proceeded, on Friday August 26, 2022, to the delivery of 15 subsidy agreements 2022-2023 in favor of vocational education centers (CEM) and vocational training centers (CFP).
The official launch took place within the premises of the Vocational Training Center of Muramvya (Centre-West) in the presence of the Director General of Technical Education, Vocational Training and Trades and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Burundi, the representative of the governor of Muramvya as well as other technical partners.
Those agreements were handed over to the 15 trades teaching centers and those of vocational training located in the 11 provinces of intervention of ENABEL, according to its representative residing in Burundi, Abou El Mahassine Fassi-Fihri.
The latter indicated that the partnership between Burundi and the Kingdom of Belgium is part of a long-term approach because the promotion of quality education and more particularly vocational training is one of the main objectives of cooperation between Burundi and Belgium in order to have a skilled workforce for the future of the country. He specified that this program is supported by the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research through the General Directorate of Technical Education, Vocational Training and Trades.
Mr. Fassi-Fihri stressed that partnership with the private sector is essential because, according to him, it is the private sector that will create the jobs of today and tomorrow. It is that private sector which knows the needs and which will present to the government the profile it needs and the training offer must meet that demand and the economy of the country according to the words of this representative of ENABEL Burundi.
Speaking of the challenges to be met, Mr. Fassi-Fahri, on behalf of the Burundian Belgo cooperation, indicated that only nine or 10% of the trades centers are supported, whereas the last few years have shown that all the centers supported by the Belgian Development Agency have performed very well, like the vocational training center in Muramvya.
As for the Director General of Technical Education, Vocational Training and Trades, Nestor Niyonzima, he indicated that the Ministry is currently placing particular emphasis on vocational training and trades.
Everything stems from the 2018-2027 national development plan and it has indeed been observed that special emphasis must be placed on technical education and vocational training because there is a need to train a workforce. qualified and capable of self-employment in order to reduce the unemployment rate.
Also speaking of the difficulties encountered, Mr. Niyonzima noted the lack of qualified trainers and the lack of equipment. He nevertheless commended the substantial support of the government, via the supervisory ministry, for the development of that sector. He did not forget to point out that the partners have been mobilized to strengthen support. It is among others, according to Mr. Niyonzima, the Kingdom of Belgium which is the leader, the World Bank with a project which will begin and Switzerland contact.
Note that since 2017, 12,029 young people have already attended the trade centers supported by ENABEL. At the time, 7,205 young people had taken CEM level training and of these, 52% were girls. Those results are encouraging and promising, according to the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium, in his speech.