Professional integration programme
for young graduates in Côte d'Ivoire

The rapid population growth makes the professional integration of young people a major economic and social issue in Côte d’Ivoire. Another challenge is that young graduates do not always manage to enter the job market, due to a lack of skills which do not match the needs of companies.

To encourage the professional integration of young people and reduce poverty, Invest for Jobs supported the Manager Business Unit (MBU) programme in 2021, which offers young people from Côte d’Ivoire individual coaching and puts them in direct contact with potential employers.

The MBU programme, which focuses on promoting diversity, such as encouraging the participation of female graduates and promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities, is implemented by the non-profit organization Young Job Network. The goal of the network is to create an international network of companies and consultant trainers who are committed to excellence, equal opportunities and professional integration.

The MBU programme is aimed at young people from Côte d’Ivoire aged 18 to 35 with at least a bachelor's degree and who are experiencing difficulties in finding employment. It offers these young graduates the opportunity to participate for six months in a series of workshops aimed at strengthening their capacities, particularly in terms of leadership. At the same time, the young people who have been selected do an internship in companies, allowing them to gain professional experience.

With the support of Invest for Jobs, the Young Job Network also involves companies in the training process, based on the German dual training system, which equips trainees with the necessary skills to work in different sectors.

The goal of MBU is to provide participants with technical and precise knowledge in their field of activity while reinforcing their efficiency. It also aims to provide them with the practical and technical skills necessary to be a force of proposal, to evolve in the professional world and to contribute to the realization of the companies' objectives in an ever-changing technological world. By promoting effective and sustainable professional integration, the MBU programme also seeks to create a positive socio-economic impact within the community.

Thirty young graduates from a wide range of sectors (telecommunication, IT, trade, construction, services, etc.) were trained with the support of Invest for Jobs between January and August 2021. At the end of the MBU programme, 13 participants found permanent jobs after months or even years of job research. Eight graduates obtained paid internships that could lead to long-term contracts. They are now working in local and international companies (ZARA Transit, TSP OFFSHORE SAL, ERIKSON BENIN, SITEL S.A, TOUTON NEGOCE CI) located in Abidjan and are looking forward to the future with optimism.

The Manager Business Unit programme was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH within the framework of the Special Initiative "Decent Work for a Just Transition" of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).