At launch of 2024/2025 training year: Minister drums inclusion of Artificial Intelligence in vocational training.

The minister made the call while officially launching the 2024/2025 training year of professional institutions. The ceremony took place at “Les Ateliers Pratiques” training centre in Yaounde.

It was under the theme: “Professional Training in the Context of the Emergence of Artificial Intelligence, AI”. 

The event took place in the presences of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette Libom Li Likeng; the Minister of Labour and Social Security, Gregoire Owono; the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou; and their close collaborators as well as officials of the training institutes.

Speaking during the ceremony, Minister Issa Tchiroma called on vocational training programmes to be adapted to the AI era, with curricula that incorporate both theoretical and practical aspects of AI. “By providing students with the necessary skills to exploit this technology, Cameroon can stay competitive on the global stage,” the minister said. 

He encouraged training centres, instructors, and curriculum developers to play an active role in integrating AI into the learning process.

According to Issa Tchiroma, AI is not just a tool for innovation but also a valuable resource for improving the delivery of educational programmes. 

The member of government used the event to outline how generative AI techniques could be used to design training plans, define educational objectives, and implement teaching methods that are tailored to individual learner needs.

“As far as the government is concern, vocational training is the most appropriate outfit, the most important tool to fight against poverty and unemployment of the youth,” the minister said, adding that creating wealth and goods are key to fighting poverty.  

“We have the skill, handicraft and whatever is useful to shape, transform and process whatever including the raw material to form it into finished products. I am here to give the support of the government to continue in this way,” he reiterated.

The government, the minister said, has the responsibility to educate, enable the youth to take their destinies into their hands.

He said in cases where government for one reason or the other, fails to meet the demands of the youth, they have to take their responsibilities into their hands by being the creators of their future. 

Salutes shift from general education to specialised skills

Minister Issa Tchiroma equally took the opportunity to address the long-standing issue in Cameroon’s educational system with the general education which has been prioritised for years, leaving vocational training significantly underdeveloped. 

He stressed that qualified workers, technicians, specialised technicians, and engineers are essential for the country’s economic development, and these professionals can only be produced through a robust vocational training system. 

“No nation in the world has achieved significant development without a substantial stock of human capital, which encompasses both technical and general skills,” he stated. 

The minister equally saluted Les Ateliers Pratiques for their unwavering support for the cause of vocational training, a key pillar in achieving government’s vision for the future of the country.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3256 of Friday October 11, 2024