At end of 7th training session in Y’de: African employment counselors renewed commitment to serve.

The training was organized by the National Employment Fund, NEF, in partnership with the World Association of Public Employment Services, WAPES and AASEP.

It grouped experts, trainers, and employment officials from 15 African countries. During the training, participants exchanged on strategies to tackle unemployment and shape the future of work in Africa.

According to organisers, the training was more than a routine capacity-building exercise.

They said it was a comprehensive exploration of the African labour ecosystem, equipping counselors with tools not only to guide job seekers but also to understand the dynamics of both the formal and informal labour markets.

AASEP Coordinator, Brehima Noumbary Sidibé, praised Cameroon’s hospitality and NEF’s flawless organization of the session. He underlined the uniqueness of this year’s training compared to previous ones.

Sidibé said the training “…encompassed the entire environment in which employment counselors and their public services operate—the labour market, the informal sector, the formal sector and the economy in general”.  

According to Sidibé, the expanded framework ensures that employment counselors can directly impact job seekers and employers. 

He emphasized that the upcoming certification process for participants will validate their skills and enable them to adapt knowledge acquired to national realities.

“Those who have learned here must now impact their users, job seekers and employers,” he said. 

Participants praise cross-country experiences

One of the participants, Justine Bisseu, from Côte d’Ivoire, described the training as enriching and inspiring. 

“What I really liked was that we shared experiences between SPE countries,” she explained.

Bisseu remarked that: “We discovered that some of the practices we use in Côte d’Ivoire are already advanced, but we also identified new approaches from other countries that we can adapt to our own job seekers and employers”.

Monguegui from Gabon, on his part, highlighted the practical improvements the training offered. 

“We learned a lot, not only about the work environment but also beyond it. Some practices we were already applying, but this training structured and systematized them,” Bisseu stated.

He described himself and other participants as “…seasoned professionals” adding that knowledge gained will “enable us to make a significant impact in Gabon”.

He added that upon returning to Libreville, his team would immediately brief hierarchy.

Enter NEF official

Representing the Director General of NEF, the Technical Advisor II, Tana Assiga François reaffirmed the country’s commitment to regional cooperation in employment policies. 

“Employment advisors are critical to economic and social development in Africa. Through this training, we want them to support their respective public employment services in developing inclusive labour markets,” Tana stated.

He said certification process “…will help standardize methods across our countries while remaining adapted to our specific African realities”.

According to him, the ultimate objective is to foster collaboration among African public employment services to jointly tackle employment challenges.

Stakeholders emerge from the session, promising to ensure knowledge gained is institutionalized across African public employment services. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3576 of Friday September 26, 2025