Perspective Chapter: Technical and Vocational Training Policies and Practices Facing the Challenges of the Socio-Professional Integration of Young Girls in the Republic of Guinea

Abstract

The summary proposes to (i) review the technical and vocational training policies and practices that are current in Guinea; (ii) measure the impact of vocational training on the integration of girls; (iii) describe the initiatives undertaken to promote the integration of girls. Are political guidelines proposed for the development of vocational training likely to promote better socio-professional integration in Guinea of young people in general and girls in particular? In an attempt to encourage girls’ participation in STEM, initiatives developed or to be developed will be examined. Finally, the results of a survey on the motivation of young people for entrepreneurship will be analyzed in this article.

1. Introduction

This article relates to the analysis of the policies and practices of technical education and vocational training in the face of the challenges of the socio-professional integration of girls in the Republic of Guinea. As such, it will attempt to shed light on the three main dimensions of the issue of the socio-professional integration of girls, namely the policies of Technical Education and Vocational Training (ETFP), training practices within TVET systems, and the degree of socio-professional integration of the products of TVET systems in general and of girls in particular. The methodology used was based on a review and a documentary analysis accompanied by a survey on the motivation of young people for entrepreneurship, which made it possible to:

• take stock of vocational training policies and practices;

• describe the strengths and weaknesses of the vocational training system in relation to the integration of girls;

• measure the impact of vocational training on the integration of girls;

• describe the initiatives carried out to promote the integration of girls;

• propose the outline of a policy for the development of vocational training likely to promote better socio-professional integration of girls in Guinea;

• examine at the level of training policies, the reforms envisaged or in progress in the Republic of Guinea in order to decipher the field of intervention, the contents, the results in terms of impact on the female clientele on the labor market, and the funding strategy.

The issue of employment and integration largely depends on the foundations and performance of economic and social policies and therefore on the economic, political, and social contexts of a country. The development of young people’s skills and the provision of instruments allowing their integration into the world of work is one of the most effective means of making profitable and securing socio-economic investments. The issue of employment largely depends on the foundations and performance of the countries’ economic and social policies.

For the Ministry of Labour, Full Employment and Integration (France), the employment situation of young people aged from 15 to 24 depends primarily on their qualifications. In fact, the unemployment rate for low-educated people is almost three times higher than that of educated people, while the least educated are the first to suffer the consequences of the labor market. This is why professional and social integration is a fundamental process for long-term access to employment so that young people who have left the school system without a diploma or qualification develop their talent and gain access to the world of work.

The demography of young people aged 15–24 in Africa is estimated by 2050 at 437,000,000 out of 1,324,242,424, i.e. 33% of young people. In Guinea, almost half of the inhabitants are under 15 years old. The youth of the population is an opportunity for the country and its development, but it is above all an educational challenge because each year, a majority of children leave the school system without qualifications or the possibility of continuing their career in vocational training.

In Guinea, almost half of the inhabitants are under 15 years old. The youth of the population is an opportunity for the country and its development, but it is above all an educational challenge because each year, a majority of children leave the school system without qualifications or the possibility of continuing their career in vocational training.

Vocational and technical training remains in deficit, unsuitable, and poorly funded. Yet the youth unemployment rate is 70%. Faced with this situation, solutions must be found. Thus, the integration of youth is nowadays at the heart of policies for several public and private administrations. In the Republic of Guinea, despite the implementation of successful initiatives, efforts are still to be made in this area. It is worth mentioning the existence of projects and programs intervening in this field. These include INTEGRA (socio-economic integration of young people) and ASCAD (Civic Service Agency for Actions for Development). For the purposes of this article, we describe only one initiative, that of the INTEGRA program.

The INTEGRA program aims to contribute for initiating new dynamics in socio-economic development in Guinea. Initiated jointly by the Government of Guinea and the European Union under the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, INTEGRA creates opportunities for Guinean youth through preparation for professional life in schools, the construction of infrastructure economies, vocational training, the creation of sustainable jobs and the development of entrepreneurship. This economic development and job creation program will quickly put young people (apprentice workers) to work, giving them immediate means of subsistence, via high-intensity labor sites (HIMO).

The purpose of these worksites will be infrastructure meeting the needs of public and private economic operators (determined via the establishment of socio-economic development plans developed on the basis of local authority plans) and will employ people from local communities, as well as returning migrants wishing to reintegrate into their community. These are training sites: apprentice workers acquire skills (professional, entrepreneurial, human development, financial, etc.) through an integration process that will help them find post-project employment. Entrepreneurs who participate in the integration process (via personalized support and coaching) will have the opportunity to consolidate their business, (local) entrepreneurial development, and job creation.

Guinea is located in the southwest of West Africa and is bounded to the west by the Atlantic Ocean for more than 300 km, to the northwest by Guinea-Bissau, to the north by Senegal and Mali, to the east by Côte d’Ivoire and to the south by Liberia and Sierra Leone. It covers an area of 245,857 km². According to the General Census of Population and Housing (RGPH) of 2014 [1] the population is estimated at 10,628,972 inhabitants, 70% of whom live in rural areas. It is relatively young since more than 74% are under 35 years old. The risk of never having been to school is relatively higher for girls (52% of 5–16-year-olds). Indeed, the results from the MICS (Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey) surveys of 2016 [2] indicate that if, among 5–16-year-olds, 40% have never been to school [3], this proportion is 43% among girls and 38% among boys (Figure 1).

Figure 1.

Map of the Republic of Guinea.

2. Current diagnosis of TVET

2.1 Organization of TVET

As a component of the national system of education, teaching, and training, responsible for training the country’s children in various skills, and preparing them for different trades to serve different jobs, technical education, and vocational training, belonged on the occasion of the main institutional reforms, sometimes to the Ministry of National Education, sometimes to the Ministry of Pre-university Education and Vocational Training. The entire Guinean education system, described in the National Education Orientation Law (L/97/022/AN of June 22, 1997) has been rendered obsolete by the various institutional reforms that have often affected and reshaped the government structure. Moreover, this law is currently being revised.

This has not failed to affect technical education and vocational training, which, since its creation in 1996 as a ministerial department, has evolved according to institutional reforms, which successively added to it initially the employment, then Work and Employment, before removing them one after the other, then adding them again. The primary vocation of TVET, as defined in the letter of development policy, is to provide the job market with qualified and competent agents, thanks to initial training, continuing training, modernized and efficient learning, and support for the informal sector, the objective being to ensure the mastery of fundamental skills, know-how, attitudes, and behaviors in a context of competitiveness and technological progress, with a view to supporting national development at long term of the country.

The sovereign missions of TVET are defined by a presidential decree which establishes its attributions and its organic framework, namely the design, development, and implementation of government policy in this area. As such, he is responsible for the design and implementation of strategies and programs arising from the Government’s main orientations in the area of Technical Education and Vocational Training. As well as the development and monitoring of the application of legislative and regulatory texts relating to the promotion of Technical Education and Vocational Training. By ensuring the adequacy of Training/Employment to promote professional integration and the promotion of employment, by gradually adapting to the emergence of new technologies.

It is also responsible for promoting and monitoring private initiatives in the areas of private technical and vocational education, in particular through the definition of criteria and standards for the creation and opening of private technical and vocational training establishments and ensuring their application. For this, it ensures the updating of the school map on the national territory, and organizes the national examinations for the recruitment of new cohorts and the certification of the training provided, taking into account the Gender and Equity programs at the level of all cycles of education. Technical and vocational education. The details of the organization and attributions of the Ministry are contained in a decree, generally updated after each government restructuring.

It should be mentioned that when this department was created in 1996, the Government had decided to bring together under the same supervision all the providers of vocational training and it is the ministry in charge of TVET which is responsible for it. However, some specific training takes place at the level of other structures in partnership with ETFP. These include, for example, higher-level vocational training (Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation, Ministry of Functions and Labour, Ministry of Security and Civil Protection, the Ministry of Administration and Territory, and the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.

2.2 Access to vocational training and quality of training

There is no formal mechanism for orientation toward TVET in Guinea. Learners apply on their own. This sometimes opens the doors to unorthodox recruitment. The information and communication system is essentially limited to radio announcements as well as posters and leaflets on the eve of recruitment competitions. This situation deserves to be corrected by the new recruitment strategy which favors the quality of future TVET learners. Competitive examinations for access to institutions will therefore have to adapt to the types of training and diplomas.

Currently, for schools issuing diplomas from the Professional Aptitude Certificate (CAP) to the Higher Technician Certificate (BTS), the competition essentially concerns general knowledge in connection with the sectors requested. While applicants from Post Primary learning and training centers are admitted on the title to obtain the CQP. With regard to private training institutions, recruitment has always been their initiative. However, since 2020, arrangements for the simultaneous organization of the competition, both public and private, are being tested. This experimentation should go beyond recruitment to harmonize curricula and training standards to standardize certifications.

To this must be added that the conditions for better access to TVET are the availability of efficient and suitable infrastructure and equipment, competent trainers and supervisory staff, and learners. It has become apparent in recent years that the private sector has provided significant support for improving access. However, the Government, with the support of technical and financial partners, has embarked on a vast program to create new technical and vocational education centers, and at the same time as reform the training policy by adapting it more to the needs of the labor market.

At the same time, a policy of taking charge of children who have not gone beyond primary or lower secondary school has been initiated through the creation of learning centers dedicated to the learning of these post-primary children. Also, a framework program for the development of urban and peri-urban crafts has been drawn up with a view to modernizing apprenticeship and promoting the development of the informal sector. This should contribute to the improvement of traditional training systems and the services of master craftsmen, through reference systems and training modules. It is also necessary to set up a system of evaluation and certification in a traditional apprenticeship with a view to issuing a certificate, thus contributing to a more flexible integration of graduates.

2.3 School map of technical education and vocational training

It should be recognized that for a few years, and even more than a decade, the ETFP school map has not been monitored and improved. As a result, it lacked the planning tools for managing the institutions and the various training courses provided. This is not conducive to forward-looking management of the system by the department. Especially since there is no performance program contract between the Ministry and the training institutions. All this explains the poor management of flows, with a poor correlation between reception capacities often below requests which explode from year to year. Not to mention the failure to take into account the emergence of new promising professions linked to the evolution of technologies and services.

Nowadays, although it does not have institutions providing technical education as such, the Ministry in charge of Technical Education and Vocational Training develops three types of initial training [4]: (i) post-primary and secondary training delivering the professional qualification certificate (CQP), (ii) type A training that learners enter after middle school, which leads to the Professional Aptitude Certificate (CAP/BEP), and the Technician’s Certificate (BT), (iii) type B training preparing for the Brevet de Technicien Supérieur (BTS), which is offered to students holding the single Baccalaureate. These levels of certification and qualification in initial vocational and technical training are given in the below:

This training system is made up of training institutions that cover the three sectors of the national economy, namely: (i) Primary; (ii) Secondary; (iii) Tertiary. It should be noted that the Primary corresponds to the rural development sector, the secondary to the engineering sector) and the tertiary which is the trade and services sector. The system includes one hundred seventy-six (176) institutions, including fifty-seven (57) public institutions and one hundred and nineteen (119) private institutions totaling, for the 2018–2019 school year, a workforce of forty-four thousand eight hundred seven (44,807) learners including sixteen thousand four hundred and eighty-six (16,486) girls/women, that is 43.32%.

This Professional training system follows a logic of geographical distribution throughout the territory. Despite this mechanism, it should be noted that continuing education is poorly supported, while the informal sector in its apprenticeship component, which employs a large majority of young people who have not attended school, is practically ignored by funding programs, despite the existence of three (3) institutions for continuing education and development.

The Table 1 gives the general evolution (Public and Private) of learners enrolled by TVET from 2012 to 2021.

N°	Years	Workforce
		Total	Girls	Boys
1	2012–2013	30,556	11,635	18,921
2	2013–2014	30,279	12,296	17,983
3	2014–2015	28,292	12,757	15,535
4	2015–2016	28,225	13,514	14,711
5	2016–2017	32,143	16,015	16,128
6	2017–2018	37,791	19,537	18,254
7	2018–2019	44,807	23,546	21,261
8	2019–2020	49,829	27,595	22,234
9	2020–2021	55,765	29,981	25,784

Table 1.

Overall evolution of learners.

Source: METFP statistical yearbooks.

The institutions mandated for continuing education and development, three in number as mentioned above, are:

• The National Management Development Center (CNPG) provides services related to management development;

• The Normal School of Teachers of Technical and Vocational Education (ENPETP), responsible for training teachers of technical and vocational education, and

• The National Office for Professional Training and Development (ONFPP) provides funding for the continuing training of workers in formal and informal sector companies through the National Professional Qualification Fund (FNQP).

2.4 Internal efficiency

Technical and vocational education, whose training is mainly focused on the tertiary sector regardless of the type, remains very underdeveloped with a number of students of less than 5% of students enrolled in secondary school. Although this share has practically doubled in 10 years (2.5% in 2007). In higher education, the number of students increased by 49% between 2007 and 2016, rising from 68,261 to 101,439. thanks to massive state support. The share of students enrolled in private education thus increased from 5% in 2008 to 46% in 2016. In both public and private education, students are mainly enrolled in arts and social sciences.

The analysis of the school career of students in the system shows that only two-thirds of young Guineans receive 6 years of schooling while only a third follow 10 years of schooling. Indeed, although the gross admission rate to CP1 was 117% in 2016, analyzes indicate that only 67% of pupils reach the last year of primary school, a sign of a serious challenge in terms of universal primary completion. This challenge is accompanied by a low rate of access to and completion of the first cycle of secondary education; the rate of access to the 7th year is estimated at only 45%, and the rate of access to the 10th year at 32% in 2016. It should be noted, on the one hand, a high prevalence of late entries to school and on the other hand, the high rate of pupils outside the education system.

The question of children outside the system remains a major challenge for the Guinean education system insofar as 1.6 million children and young people aged 5–16, or 44% of the population of 5–16-year-olds, were outside the education system in 2016. It should be emphasized here that the still very high level of schools with incomplete cycles can be a factor in early school leaving. In primary education, despite a slight decrease between 2006 and 2016, the proportion of schools not offering the 6 levels of study is still very high. Indeed, primary schools, at the national level, (enrolling 35% of pupils) were incomplete schools, compared to 66% of establishments (enrolling 39%) in 2006. On the other hand, in secondary education, the proportion of schools in the 1st cycle offering 4 years of study was already high in 2006 and has also improved significantly over the period.

In terms of internal efficiency, the Guinean education system suffers from a significant waste of resources insofar as 32% of the resources invested in primary education and 35% of those invested in the first cycle of secondary education were wasted in 2016, due to a still too high proportion of repeaters and dropouts. Despite the good provisions prohibiting repetition within the sub-cycles, the latter still remains a practice firmly anchored in habits. In 2016, the average proportion of repeaters was 12% in primary education, 18% in the first cycle of secondary education, and 15% in the second cycle of secondary education with, however, a higher frequency of repetition in classes passing between two sub-cycles.

2.5 External efficiency

The analysis of external efficiency is essential for planning the supply of training beyond the primary cycle, in order to help direct public funding toward training justified by its ability to adequately integrate graduates into the labor market and to positively influence the development of the country. In Guinea, the labor market is characterized by a young active population and a predominance of informal jobs. Indeed, the third general census of population and housing, carried out in 2014, evaluates the total resident population at 10,599,848 inhabitants with a density of 43 inhabitants per km². The extremely young population poses real challenges for the education/training and employment sectors.

Indeed, the school-age population (4–24 years), which represented 49% of the total population in 2014, will increase by more than half (54%) between 2015 and 2030 with a potential demand for education and training services. Which will be stronger for the post-primary levels (In connection with the decrease in the birth rate, we will see a decrease in the weight of the age groups corresponding to preschool and primary and an increase for the post-primary levels). In addition, the average age of the Guinean population was estimated at 22 years in 2014, and those under 35 represent more than three-quarters (77%) of the population (RGPH 2014), a proportion which according to projections by the INS will decrease very little in the years to come. Indeed, according to projections, those under 35 will represent 74% of the total population in 2035.

Like other African countries, the Guinean labor market presents a formal/informal duality and is strongly dominated by informal sector activities (in connection with the decrease in the birth rate, we will witness a decrease in the weight of ages corresponding to preschool and primary and an increase for post-primary levels), characteristic of countries with a very narrow formal sector, the consequence of a saturated public administration and an embryonic formal private sector. Indeed, the available data show that the informal sector employs approximately 9 active individuals (15–64-year-olds) out of 10 (with a predominance of informal agricultural jobs), compared to approximately 10% in the modern sector, including 4% in the administration, public and 5% private.

Among young people aged 15–24, nearly one million (48%) were outside the education and training system and the labor market. The category of young people who are neither in training nor in employment, known by the acronym NEET, is made up of all young people who are unemployed or inactive. This result, compared with what is observed in a dozen African countries where data is available, shows the difficulty of integration for a majority of young Guineans, whether they are qualified or not.

2.6 Financing TVET

The results of the various studies and diagnoses within the framework of the restructuring of this subsystem revealed that the problems of financing constitute one of the major handicaps which slow down the evolution of Technical Education and Vocational Training. Also, in general, the maintenance of infrastructure and equipment to ensure their sustainability is a major concern. The Guinean Government has always had difficulty financing its education system and particularly technical education and vocational training; which means that the quality of the products has often been below the needs of the workplace, given that the resources are insufficient and/or unsuitable. In fact, the costs in this system are three or four times those of general education.

The mobilization of such large sums in a context of economic crisis and recession affecting the prices of export products is a major challenge to be met. To measure its extent, it is essential to assess the overall cost of TVET. It is regrettable that the technical/vocational education sector is the least resourced within the education system (4% on average). This lack of resources (materials, equipment, electrical energy, etc.) means that most of the vocational training provided in the institutions is approximately 80% theoretical.

2.7 Management and governance

Vocational Training, there is no need to emphasize it, plays a major role in the process of change in terms of training for the acquisition of the skills necessary for the realization of development programs, training in citizenship, responsibility and technical, technological, and scientific innovation for increasing productivity and improving the quality of life, which cannot happen without good governance and a dynamic network of partners. In terms of institutional governance, the establishment council is created and is a support and monitoring structure for the educational activity and the administrative and financial management of the establishment.

As part of the reform of the vocational training system, the renewal of the governance of training establishments is an ambition of the Department. This ambition is a necessity to strengthen consultation, at national and regional levels, in order to define the orientations of employment policies, training, and vocational guidance. The main objective of this improvement in the governance of training establishments is to associate economic operators from professional circles in a logic of partnership management. This important cultural evolution is the assurance of better monitoring and regular evaluation of the various measures deployed by the management of the training establishment.

3. Employment status

3.1 Trends

Socioeconomic trends in Guinea are linked, in large part, to its inclusion in global extractive markets since its independence. The population of Guinea is relatively young like other countries in the West African region, as 60% of the population is under the age of 24 [4]. According to the same source, with a poverty rate of 57.7% in 2017, the challenge of better investing in this youth to accelerate poverty reduction remains enormous. The aforementioned source indicates that in 2016 and 2017, economic growth recovered after a period of stagnation, from 3.8% in 2015 to 6.7% in 2017 (adjusted to 10.6%), but productivity and employment remained modest.

This recovery is due to the effect of a surge in mining activity, with investment and activity in the mining sector increasing with sector governance and rising commodity prices. As of 2017, the country’s economic growth was largely dependent on services (49% of GDP), followed by industry and manufacturing, including mining (37%), and agriculture (10%) [5]. Although the majority of the population is active, their jobs remain vulnerable; their incomes are too low to escape poverty because of low productivity. According to the same source [5], the highest poverty rate is found among agricultural workers (66%), followed by workers in the informal or formal private sectors in trade, business, or industry (36%) and the public sector (25%).

Employment trends in Guinea resemble those of other countries in the region, with a high rate of informal work. Also according to [5], since 2016, around 52% of jobs have been in the agricultural sector, followed by 34% in trade and 14% in industry and manufacturing. Guinea had 3.4 million employed workers in 2014 according to national data [6], which rose to 4.7 million in 2017 and 2018 according to the latest estimates, including 56% male and 44% female. Comparing this number to the 3.3 million occupied workers recorded in 1996, Guinea is faced with a very slight increase in this population (average annual growth rate of 0.14%). This overall employment rate is down from that of 1996, which was 62.5%. This development was already reflected in the very slight increase in the employed labor force.

In relation to gender, the participation rate of women in the world of work remains low [5]. The creation of good quality jobs in the industrial sectors remains too weak to absorb more qualified workers. One of the most important characteristics of the unemployment rate is that this rate increases with the level of education. These characteristics also show that the situation of professional, technical (27.7%), and higher (34.7%) level assets is much more worrying. The second characteristic relates to the age of the assets. Unemployment hits young people hardest (specifically the age groups between 15 and 30) [5].

3.2 Portrait of TVET in relation to employment

The analysis of the TVET training mechanism makes it possible to mention the findings, in connection with employment, which are examined below.

1. An imbalance between demographic pressure and the rate of job growth.

The estimated annual population growth rate of 3% is higher than the average annual employment growth rate (2%). The simultaneous evolution of the age pyramid and the rate of schooling of the population generates a multiplication of the number of people of working age and actually seeking salaried employment. This contributes to the increase in the number of unemployed. This situation requires an improvement in the quality of the job offer for young people and women.

1. The mismatch between training and the real needs of the national economy:

The training system in Guinea has remained inconsistent for a long time both in its structures and in relation to employment needs. Indeed, the training is more intended for the tertiary sector than those of the primary and secondary which are the real breeding grounds for jobs. More than 95% of private training institutions are oriented toward the tertiary sector. In the training content, we note the predominance of theoretical training (70 to 80% of training time) to the detriment of practical training which also constitutes a blocking factor in the system. Most youth training institutions experience difficulties in accessing materials (inputs) and suitable equipment for carrying out practical work internally.

Added to this is the weak connection of these training institutions with the professional world. Out of about 50 training institutions, there are less than 10% of institutions have formalized and monitored partnerships with their socio-professional world. The technical education and vocational training system (ETFP) which prepares young people for local labor needs does not have the means and relies on the outside world. Training institutions are experiencing difficulties in allocating human (trainers and supervisors) and financial resources and difficulties in organizing practical internships in the workplace.

This has a negative influence on the quality of training and generates serious problems of socio-professional integration of young people from the training system. To promote the socio-professional integration of young people and women, technical education and vocational training should conform to the evolution of the job market and also take into account the needs of private companies [7].

1. Lack of knowledge of the labor market by the majority of young job seekers

Ignorance of the labor market and support structures is one of the causes that explain certain difficulties encountered by young people in obtaining employment. Structurally, the informal sector is the main provider of jobs in Guinea. The ESTD-2012 survey indicates that 89% of new jobs were generated by the informal sector against 11.2% for the formal sector. In general, young people preferably seek permanent salaried employment, especially in the civil service. However, the lack of knowledge of support structures is one of the causes of the difficulties encountered in accessing employment.

We note that the proportion of young job seekers who know the Guinean agency for the Promotion of Employment (AGUIPE) or another job promotion structure is 34% for men and 19.5% for women. Young job seekers aged 15–24 (25.5%) are less interested in employment promotion structures than those aged 25–34 (31%).

The labor market information and governance system must be strengthened for greater efficiency.

A low rate of professional integration of young people and women.

The main results of the Specific Survey on Employment and Decent Work (ESETD) conducted in 2012) [6] show that the activity rate of the population aged 15–35 is estimated at 56.0%. This rate is very high among young people who have never been to school (80.0%) than those with a higher level (63.0%) or a professional/technical level (56.0%). Three out of five employed young people are self-employed (60.8%) while the proportion of employees is estimated at 18.2%. Young women (70.3%) and employed people who have never been to school (73.8%) are the most numerous among the self-employed.

The integration rate of young people in formal jobs is very low (16%, of which 20% for men and 12% for women). Informal employment concerns 53.6% of young people with higher education and 51.3% of young people with vocational training. This situation raises questions about the relevance of training for young people. Indeed, according to the ESETD conducted in 2012 [6], the rate of socio-professional integration of young graduates is low (25% for graduates of technical education and vocational training and 24.4% for university graduates The configuration of jobs in Guinea shows a predominance of jobs in the primary sector, which concerns 69.3% of workers, 64% of whom are men and 74% women (ESETD, 2012).

The tertiary sector (mainly commerce) employs 25% of workers, of which 27% are men and 25% are women [8]. However, the secondary sector, which should be the employment sector par excellence for young people, occupies only 5% of the jobs particularly intended for men (9% men and 2% women). The growing mining sector needs a skilled workforce that is currently lacking. Indeed, mining companies have difficulty finding the required skills. This leads this sector to recruit a large part of its workforce in neighboring countries. It appears that to improve the integration rate, Guinea needs to strengthen its vocational training system to meet the real needs of the economy.

4. TVET policies and practices related to girls’ education in Guinea

4.1 Enrollment of girls

The rate of female presence in the number of learners over a period of 20 years is given in the Table 2 and the Figure 2 below. These tables and figures show that the trend in the attendance rate is slightly upward from 39% in 2001 to 53% in 2019. This implies the analysis of the initiatives that prompted it in order to capitalize on them.

Years	Girls Rate	Years	Girls Rate
2000/01	39%	2011/12	47%
2001/02	43%	2012/13	38%
2002/03	42%	2013/14	41%
2003/04	43%	2014/15	45%
2004/05	44%	2015/16	48%
2005/06	44%	2016/17	50%
2006/07	43%	2017/18	52%
2007/08	42%	2018/19	53%
2008/09 et 2009/10		2019/2020	55%

Table 2.

Rate of female presence in the workforce.

Compilation of the authors from the statistical yearbooks of the Statistics and Planning Service of the METFP from 2000 to 2021.

N.B.: There was no data collection from 2008 to 2010 due to political instability.

Figure 2.

Evolution of the female presence rate.

For the 2019–2020 academic year, learners in public vocational and technical training establishments totaled 20,410, including 7558 girls (37%). This rate of female presence hides significant disparities. Indeed, female representation is marked especially in the tertiary sector with a rate of 64% against 24% for the primary sector and only 9% for the secondary sector as shown in the Figure 3. It should be noted that women are poorly represented in the TVET teaching body (7%). Actions to encourage the improvement of the presence of women in TVET education should be initiated. Indeed, the existence of female role models in the TVET teaching class is one of the best incentives for girls to opt for TVET.

Figure 3.

Female representation in economic sectors.

It should be mentioned that the predominance of female clients in the tertiary sector (64%) is not likely to facilitate integration in general and of girls in particular. The tertiary sector is the service sector. The primary sector (rural development), which is the leading growth sector, has only 24% female representation. The minimum share goes to the secondary sector, the production sector (9%). This testifies to the persistence of the “traditionally male profession” paradigm. This paradigm that is gone requires that girls be made aware of the effect of a major change in order to fight against discriminatory stereotypes. Indeed, the secondary sector is in our country one of the job-providing sectors.

4.2 Gender policy analysis

An inventory of the gender issue in relation to the legislative provisions makes it possible to draw up the balance sheet in terms of gender strategies in TVET. In this regard, an analysis of the two versions of the policy on the subject makes it possible to mention the existence of provisions relating to the gender issue. Indeed, in these ETFP policy letters [9], it is stipulated with regard to gender following: “The ET-VT system must promote the contribution of the educational establishment to achieving gender equity and girls on the one hand and between normal pupils and handicapped pupils on the other” (1996 version). “The system must promote equity between boys and girls by adapting programs to certain characteristics of the female clientele. It will have to give priority in the development of new programs and lessons adapted to the professional occupations for which the female labor force is in demand” (2011 version).

4.3 Actions implemented

In the dynamics of the economic empowerment of girls through TVET, the actions, described below, have been carried out within the framework of the Project supported by the Danish Development Agency (DANIDA) [10]. Indeed, with the leadership of the Forum des Educatrices de Guinée/Forum For African Women Educationalists (FEG/FAWE), the so-called “DANIDA” project was initiated and implemented thanks to the technical and financial support of the Danish Agency of Cooperation. It proposed to continue efforts to encourage girls to attend non-traditional sectors and particularly technological sectors where great prospects in terms of socio-professional integration are offered in view of the enormous economic potential and investments, particularly in agriculture and the mining sector.

The objectives of the project were:

1. Establish partnerships with five TVET institutions to support the education of girls with a view to creating an environment conducive to learning and training;

2. Provide at least 200 unschooled and out-of-school girls with opportunities to develop their professional and entrepreneurial skills;

3. Train 60 teachers from targeted institutions in pedagogy that integrates gender;

4. Mobilize 600 community members and parents to support TVET initiatives for girls, particularly in sectors considered non-traditional for women;

5. Put 80% of girls graduating from TVET institutions in contact with private and public sector entities likely to offer job opportunities or support entrepreneurship. Support the remaining 20% to continue studies at higher levels of vocational and technical training;

6. Document FAWE’s experience in partnering with the TVET department for girls’ TVET;

7. advocate for policy change to address gender issues and girls’ education in TVET;

8. monitor and manage the program.

To achieve these objectives, the following activities were carried out: (i) Institutional assessment of TVET institutions with a view to selecting those to host the project; (ii) Sensitization and advocacy; (iii) Organization of training sessions; (iv) Support and subsidy for girls and partner TVET institutions, including girl-mothers, so that they can attend training institutions and be able to explain the cause of early pregnancies as well as the appropriate measures to avoid them; (v) Development of a code of conduct on gender issues; (vi) Social marketing (advertising posters); (vii) Establishment of “TUSEME” clubs (explained below) and (viii) Conduct of the review of national technical education and vocational training policies from a gender perspective.

The successful experiences of the “DANIDA” project are identified on the basis of the relevance of the actions carried out which deserve to be shared and capitalized on with a view to their sustainability. They have been put under the label of “good practices or successful experiences”, some of which are: (i) establishment of institutional partnerships, (ii) awareness-raising, (iii) gender-sensitive pedagogy, (iv) establishment of “tuseme” club, (v) development of a code of conduct. These best practices are described below.

4.4 Establishment of institutional partnerships

The establishment of a partnership is identified as a successful experience. Indeed, in modern societies, all sectors currently tend to value partnerships. And the education sector is no exception. The partnership according to Laroche quoted by André Moreau [11] is a way to build the future. To develop, the society of today and tomorrow needs the creative forces of as many people as possible. It will be necessary to trust collective intelligence to find the right solutions. The world of education is invited to rapprochements and collaboration that can only be beneficial to all. This philosophy is valid in the issue of gender in TVET for which partnership has many cardinal virtues.

Indeed, for Moreau [11], faced with a problem, a team that works collectively will be able to adapt its structures and strategies to respond to new situations. The partnership network set up around the issue of gender in TVET deserves to be strengthened in a dynamic of resource pooling and synergy in actions. Within the framework of the project, two types of partnership are worth mentioning. The partnership with the five TVET training institutions and the strategic one with the ministry in charge of TVET. These partnerships have made it possible to develop a culture of sharing gender issues in TVET.

4.5 Awareness

Communities are of paramount importance in the education process. Aware of this fact, encouraging parents/guardians to become actively involved in supporting learners/beneficiaries and supporting the learning process deserves to be pursued. Indeed, sensitizing and raising the awareness of parents and community leaders on the importance of ensuring that girls access, maintain and complete training has beneficial effects. Making every effort to encourage parents/guardians to provide moral and financial support to learners is a practice to be encouraged. Also, the right of parents/guardians to be informed about the well-being and progress of learners/beneficiaries should be granted and promoted through consultation mechanisms.

Sensitization targets: (i) girl learners; (ii) partner TVET institutions; (iii) communities; (iv) opinion leaders; (v) the ETFP department; (vi) members of the steering committee; (vii) the Guinea National Coalition for Education For All. This coalition is a civil society organization, a partner of the Forum des Éducatrices de Guinée (FEG). In this awareness-raising action, initially planned for 600 community members and parents with a view to getting them to support TVET initiatives for girls, more than 900 members were finally reached. At the level of partner TVET institutions, all categories of staff (teachers, non-teachers, learners) have been targeted and affected.

4.6 Gender-sensitive pedagogy (PSG)

To enable teachers to resist the weight of prejudices and to enlighten their actions in the fight against factors unfavorable to gender, they must be given the means to undertake concrete actions, in order to remedy the shortcomings and reinforce the achievements, to implement effective strategies to overcome the difficulties that hinder women’s education.

4.7 Establishment of “TUSEME” clubs

In many African communities, girls are raised to be both submissive and obedient, which has the effect of hampering their level of participation in the classroom, and this treatment ultimately affects their exam results. Nationals. However, when girls are empowered enough to express their own opinions, they become able to overcome gender-based constraints, particularly those imposed by tradition and/or other cultural considerations.

For FAWE, “girls need to be personally involved in efforts to eliminate the discrimination and inequalities they face in school, as well as in the local community if they are to achieve meaningful transformation. Gender relations”.

One of FAWE’s flagship models is the “TUSEME” initiative, which stands for “Let us Speak Out” for Youth Empowerment. It uses developmental strategic alliance techniques to address concerns that hinder girls’ development, both socially and academically. Through the “TUSEME” clubs, the girls receive training that enables them to identify and understand the problems that concern them, to articulate these problems, and finally, to take action to solve them.

As part of the implementation of the project, the constitution of these clubs was effective in the five partner institutions. The average number was 50, including 20 boys. These clubs are sponsored by the directors of vocational and technical training institutions. In these clubs, girls learn to negotiate, express themselves, gain self-confidence, make decisions, and finally acquire skills enabling them to take on responsibilities. This had the following repercussions: (i) an improvement in girls’ self-confidence and their ability to take on responsibilities, their social skills, and those necessary for daily life; (ii) a positive change in the attitude of teachers toward girls; (iii) a significant reduction in acts of harassment and violence.

4.8 Development, publication, and dissemination of a code of conduct

With the aim of having high standards in the various areas of school life and concerned with maintaining the spirit of good discipline, a strong work ethic for good completion, and the establishment of good partnership relations, a code of conduct has been developed and disseminated. This instrument describes in clear terms the rights and duties of all actors involved in gender issues in TVET. Its application must be a point of honor for all. The success in obtaining a written commitment from stakeholders to respect the code of conduct is to be welcomed and considered as good practice. The code of conduct has defined the roles and responsibilities of each actor, some of which are listed in the Table 3:

Partners	Roles and responsibilities
The FAWE	advocate for policy change to take gender issues into account in TVET
The partner TVET institutions	assuming the political will to take gender issues into account in TVET; promote a safe and conducive environment for learning; maintain good character; promote a climate of trust.
The trainers and other teaching staff	demonstrate during the training a good command of the way in which the learners assimilate and develop/progress; eliminate all forms of discrimination (not to tolerate any form of different treatment or special favor for one learner to the detriment of others) and practice the “Do No Harm” principle at all times.
The learners/beneficiaries	attend classes regularly. Any learner who registers 25% of absence is postponed to her passing exam or her exit exam; pass all trades and related courses; behave appropriately: at school, on the way home from school, and on all occasions and outings from institutions and FAWE
The technical and financial partners	support initiatives to promote gender issues in TVET; support popularization actions of the Guide
The social partners	contribute to the implementation and dissemination of best practices.

Table 3.

Roles and responsibilities of partners.

In addition, other no less important initiatives concern the establishment of incentive programs for female clients, namely:

1. The establishment of the Women Science and Technology (FST) program has made it possible to interest young girls in technological branches, such as ENAM (National School of Arts and Trades), CFP (Professional Training Center), and ENAE (National School of Agriculture and Livestock). In this regard, the enrollment rate for girls has doubled, from 5–10% in 2 years.

2. In the implementation of the “FIMG” project (Initial Training of Teachers in Guinea), positive discrimination measures in favor of female clients have made it possible to obtain, in 3 years, a female attendance rate of 37% in the recruitment of new masters, against initially 18%.

3. Nine programs developed for NAFA (Second Chance School) centers by the Gender and Equity Committee in Technical and Vocational Education (COGETEP).

4. In general education, modules on gender issues and the ideals of the Red Cross have been developed and included in the curriculum of ENI (Ecole Normale d’Instituteur), after the training of ENI trainers: Teacher Normal School (PEN) and Pedagogical Advisor Master Trainer (CPMF).

5. Training of trainers on gender issues through workshops that have made it possible to correct the negative habits of teachers, which include: (i) the execution only by girls of tasks traditionally considered feminine (work maintenance of the class or the school) (ii) questioning boys a lot more in class and entrusting them almost exclusively with responsibilities in group work, in maintaining discipline in class (iii) renewing the stereotypes sexist discrimination in educational material (manuals, boards, posters) (iv) using taunts of the type: heavy girl, tired old woman, grandmother…

6. Creation of structures for facilitating the issue of gender in TVET.

At the institutional level, it is good practice to create and support a specific structure mandated to ensure the management of gender issues and equity in technical education and vocational training. Indeed, the creation of the gender and equity committee in TVET (COGETEP), since its creation, has developed and implemented action plans on the issue of gender equity.

5. Socio-professional integration initiatives for the products of TVET systems in general and girls in particular

Regarding the integration of girls, initiatives have been developed with the support of bilateral and multilateral partners. We can recall without an order of precedence:

1. Strengthening of the gender and equity committee in technical education and vocational training;

2. Positive discrimination measures for female clients in the recruitment of candidates for training in elementary education;

3. The good provisions of the ETFP policy letter in favor of the gender dimension such as this provision relating to the promotion of equity between boys and girls contained in the 2011 version of this letter cited above;

4. The “Economic empowerment of girls through technical education and vocational training” project;

5. the establishment of agreements such as that of ENAM with the BOLLORÉ Company, the purpose of which is to define the conditions under which this company provides support for the implementation of the project aimed at improving the schooling of young girls, reducing the school wastage, encourage the professional integration of women in technical fields, and promote academic excellence for girls.

With regard to the integration rate of girls graduating from vocational training institutions, there is no reliable monitoring-evaluation mechanism. Therefore, we cannot have a precise reading on this rate. However, everything suggests that this rate is not satisfactory with regard to the employment rate of women. All the same, some studies provide some data concerning women, such as the special survey on work and decent employment in Guinea conducted by AGUIPE [6] as well as the Light Survey for the Evaluation of Poverty (ELEP-2012) [2].

According to these studies, almost half (48%) of young people aged 15–24 (nearly one million) are not integrated into the education and training system or the labor market. In addition, 70.4% of first-time job seekers are girls compared to 64% of boys [6].

6. Young people’s enthusiasm for entrepreneurship

In order to get an idea of young people’s motivation for entrepreneurship, we conducted a survey on the subject. The sample constituted is given in the Table 4.

N°	Categories	Total	Girls
1	Graduates	100	35
2	TVET learners in training	100	48
3	Apprentices	100	25
4	Without training	100	60
Totals		300	168

Table 4.

Number of respondents.

The questionnaire administered was the following: “What is your level of motivation for entrepreneurship”.

1. Highly motivated

2. Motivated

3. Unmotivated

4. Not motivated at all.

The collection techniques used were the written questionnaire (for graduates and apprentices in training), individual interviews and focus groups (for apprentices and those “without training”), and telephone exchanges with 10 respondents per target group. The methodology of the survey was based on two research traditions that merge with two distinct approaches, namely, the quantitative approach and the qualitative one.

The quantitative approach places great emphasis on the use of quantifiable and therefore measurable data which are collected, processed, analyzed, and used to demonstrate, through a rigorous scientific approach, a research hypothesis or to verify the veracity of a given phenomenon. The quantitative study produced indicators that allowed the survey variables to be measured. As for the qualitative approach, it was used with the aim of better understanding the given social phenomenon. For this, we relied on participatory or other observations, individual or collective interviews, focus groups, the expression of opinions, opinions, and points of view of the subjects of the survey.

Table 5 gives the results of the survey. It appears that young people without training and apprentices are the most motivated for entrepreneurship. Graduates and trainees are less motivated by entrepreneurship. This denotes the persistence of the “civil service” dynamic (Figure 4).

	Graduates		TVET learners in training		Apprentices		Without training
	Total	Girls	Total	Girls	Total	Girls	Total	Girls
Highly motivated	10	2	0	0	50	15	25	25
Motivated	8	5	30	10	50	10	75	35
Little motivated	54	25	60	30	0	0	0	0
Unmotivated	8	3	10	8	0	0	0	0
TOTAL	100	35	100	48	100	25	100	60

Table 5.

Survey results.

Figure 4.

Scores.

The civil service dynamic means only wanting to work for public administration, thus killing entrepreneurship. According to this survey on enthusiasm for entrepreneurship, only 2% of girls are very motivated and 5% are motivated against 25% of little motivated at the level of graduate girls. For girls in training, 0 and 10% are respectively very motivated and motivated 30% not very motivated and 8% not at all motivated. The apprentice girls and those without training are respectively 25 and 60% very motivated and motivated for entrepreneurship.

6.1 Suggestions

• Reconsider training policies so that they are more oriented toward the integration of young people in general and girls in particular.

• Put in place national strategies for the integration of young people.

• Adopt a reform approach combining the short and the long-term.

• Involve young people more in the design and management of policies.

• Promote an integrated approach to supporting young people, taking into account their needs on the one hand and the needs of the economy on the other.

7. Conclusion

It is important to commit to better policies and practices, in order to move from a logic of TVET according to supply to a logic of TVET for employment in a dynamic of gender equity. In this dynamic, it is highly to be hoped that the next master plan for IT in TVET will be a framework for managing the database on the integration of graduates in general and the female clientele in particular. The Republic of Guinea is still having difficulty making TVET the driving force behind its development. Learners in TVET schemes face constraints, thus demonstrating that the objective of integration and inclusion is still far from being achieved. Admittedly, efforts have been made, significant progress has been made, but accompanied by significant disparities related to the gender issue.

In this regard, it is appropriate to take advantage of the strong potential of the agricultural sector to act just in time by taking the right steps to do the right things well. The vocational training market should be oriented toward the labor market to invest where it is needed by mobilizing all the actors and all the resources, considering the investment not as an expense but as a profitable investment.