Forty-two employment counsellors received their certification in Abidjan on 2 October 2026, at the end of the seventh training session of the African Association of Public Employment Services. They come from ten countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger and Togo.
A training course concluded with field projects
According to the report published on 6 October by WAPES, the programme had begun on 8 September 2025 in Yaoundé. The defences took place from 28 September to 1 October 2026 in Abidjan. Twelve dissertations were assessed by a jury of four experts.
The process thus combines training, practical application and professional work subject to assessment. During the ceremony, Minister Mamadou Touré called for developing, within public employment services, a lasting capacity to train other counsellors.
A skill in the service of employment pathways
For users, the value of this strengthening lies in the quality of support. A counsellor must help match a person's skills to the needs of an employer, while taking into account their project and training opportunities.
This role becomes particularly concrete when a candidate is torn between salaried employment and self-employment. The procedures, qualifications and support needs differ depending on the chosen path. The effectiveness of the service is then also measured by the continuity of guidance and the follow-up of the proposed steps.
WAPES announces an eighth session in Abidjan in September 2027. This timetable concerns the training of employment service professionals; jobseekers continue to approach their national structures to receive support.