On Thursday, June 12, 2025, Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé presided over the inauguration ceremony of the Vocational Training Center for Construction Trades (CFA) in Yopougon. The center aims to provide young people seeking requalification or career transition with an opportunity for socio-professional integration into the Ivorian economy.
Located on a 2-hectare site, the Yopougon CFA welcomes an initial cohort of 1,000 young trainees, divided into four groups of 250, with 25 apprentices per trade.
The facility includes multiple buildings, notably ten workshop blocks, four sanitary blocks, a library, a computer lab, and an administrative building, among others.
In his address, the Prime Minister described the CFA as an exceptional center, the result of President Alassane Ouattara’s commitment to offering Ivorian youth meaningful opportunities for socio-professional inclusion. The center focuses on key trades such as painting, plastering, tiling, masonry, ironwork, formwork, carpentry, electricity, and plumbing.
He encouraged young people to commit to hard work and resilience, emphasizing that the construction sector is a major source of employment.
The Minister of Technical Education, Vocational Training, and Apprenticeship, Koffi N’Guessan, highlighted Côte d’Ivoire’s efforts to modernize and strengthen its vocational training system, reflecting the government’s determination to provide youth with a revamped and efficient educational framework.
According to him, the CFA offers youth a chance to rebuild their educational and career paths through professional training.
“Our ambition is to make a real impact in the construction sector by producing a skilled workforce capable of meeting the challenges of quality housing in Côte d’Ivoire, and eventually exporting qualified labor to other countries,” he stated.
The creation of the Yopougon Construction CFA is part of the “Second Chance School” (E2C) initiative. Training is delivered through a dual approach, with 25% theoretical instruction and 75% hands-on experience in companies.