Cap Compétences: a vocational training expertise facility
Cap Compétences is an expertise facility financed by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) which aims to support the preparation of vocational training projects by capitalising on the expertise and experience of Expertise France in implementing and deploying expertise. At AFD’s request, Expertise France mobilises and supervises experts to carry out identification, opportunity and feasibility studies of projects and to support the the beginning of activities.
This Facility also makes it possible to support the launch of project under assistance to the interim contracting authority
Deployment of opportunity and feasibility studies
To achieve its objective, Cap Compétences organises various expert missions for AFD Group projects in order to conduct studies in a local-international synergy.
Implementing territorialised agricultural and rural training provision in Northern Benin
An opportunity and feasibility study has proposed the renovation/creation of two agricultural colleges (facilities, equipment and curricula), measures for the integration of young people, a jobs-skills-training observatory and the introduction of territorialised governance for agricultural and rural training.
The teams of the Cap Compétences facility continued to provide support to the ProFAR project, which was created following this study, on management issues: stabilised planning of the project, recruitment of the project management team and technical assistance, setting up of a steering committee, procedures manuals etc.
This project is supporting the implementation of the technical and vocational education and training strategy in Benin in the priority agriculture and rural sector. The project extension is being considered in 2022 and 2023, in relation with the major issues of the reform of the agriculture and rural training.
Setting up a vocational training centre for agri-food industries in Bizerte in Tunisia
A feasibility study has worked on the creation of the centre, in particular the identification of training programmes tailored to business needs, the development and equipment of spaces, measures to support the start-up and the draft budget for the facilities, equipment and operation.
Another component of the study focused on the shared governance model and a viable economic model to support this centre. On this basis, an exchange workshop brought together all stakeholders to reach a consensus on the modalities of an innovative governance and economic model for this centre in Tunisia.
Support for strengthening technical and scientific training in high schools and universities in the Comoros
This project is part of the France-Comoros Development Plan and is based on three phases:
• Phase 1: An opportunity study has analysed the relevance of the pre-identified components in terms of the context, the characteristics of the training currently available and the needs identified by the labour market. It has also pre-identified the conditions for success and operating methods for the future project.
• Phase 2: A feasibility study has structured the project, specifying the objective, content and implementation methods. The Professionalisation Project for Training Provision and Integration (PROFI) was thus launched in 2022.
• Phase 3: The support for the start of the project is part of the assistance to the interim contracting authority for the launch of PROFI and the preparation of priority activities. In the meantime, the teams of Cap Compétences have supported the creation of a Baccalauréat in agriculture in the future agricultural secondary school in Mvouni, thanks to the support of Coconi agricultural secondary school (Mayotte).
Supporting the African Network of Centres of Excellence in Electricity (ANCEE)
Co-financed by AFD and the African Development Bank, the African Network of Centres of Excellence in Electricity (ANCEE) mobilises 10 centres of excellence to build the capacities of 50 electricity companies that are members of the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA).
Through a participatory approach, the additional feasibility study aims to propose solutions to strengthen the strategic positioning of ANCEE, improve its services, adapt its governance and economic model, etc.
Helping improve agricultural and rural training in Nigeria (SAFRAN)
The additional identification study for the implementation of the SAFRAN project is a first stage in the preparation of the project. It has been conducted in partnership with the International Network for Agricultural and Rural Training (RiFAR). It has made a case for the selection of the pilot beneficiary countries of the project, identify the stakeholders and propose a draft operating method.
Updating technical-vocational education in Costa Rica
This study has lead to the identification of opportunities to create or adapt level 4 technical and vocational training programmes in 4 pre-identified sectors related to the labour market, the country’s national neutrality plan and gender issues.
Supporting the agricultural and rural training (ART) sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo
In 2022, the feasibility study leaded to the creation of a project to support governance, occupational integration and rural and agricultural training in the province of Tshopo. It supports four agricultural technical institutes (ATI – secondary level) and the Higher Institute of agricultural sciences.
In addition, this project mainstreams gender equality into training and vocational integration. The feasibility study paid particular attention to this Gender component.
Support for the Malagasy Vocational Training Fund in Madagascar
The objectives of the feasibility study for the second financing for the Malagasy Vocational Training Fund (FMFP), allocated by AFD, are to:
• Conduct a diagnostic of the functioning of the FMFP and the suitability of this functioning in terms of current demand from the private sector and the prospects for the development of this sector, as well as the objectives set by the project to support the FMFP
• Study the technical and financial feasibility of additional AFD assistance to the FMFP, in order to develop a strategy to meet the training needs of the formal and informal economy.
Regional vocational training cooperation programme for the Indian Ocean
An exploratory study has been conducted to analyze mobility and vocational training in and between the five Indian Ocean countries (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles), mainly for the agriculture, construction, tourism and blue economy sectors. Gender issues were taken into account in a cross-cutting way in this study.
This diagnostic has informed the work of the Regional Conferences on Training and Professional Mobility which took place in February 2022. They led to strategical orientations on regional cooperation in vocational training, approved by the Ministers of the Indian Ocean Commission.
Support for the creation and management of delegated Management Training Institutes (IGD) in Morocco
Three studies have been carried out to support the Vocational Training Department of the Ministry of Economic Integration, Small Enterprises, Employment and Skills in Morocco.
• Two scaling studies for delegated management training institutes:
1) the Training Institute for the Water, Sanitation and Environment Sectors (IFMEAE) in the Fez-Meknes region
2) the Training Institute for the Pharmaceutical Industry Occupations in the Casablanca region. Cap Compétences has called upon expertise of the IMT Group, a major French actor in the training of industrial jobs of the pharmaceutical sector.
• An in-depth diagnostic of the network of Training Institutes for the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Sectors (IFMEREE) on governance, economic model and mangement issues, and proposal of constructive recommendations for restructuring.
Support to vocational training in Rwanda
After the project to support technical training and employment in Rulindo (AFTER), developed between 2011 and 2014, the Rwandan authorities wanted to duplicate the activities in technical education institutes in the provinces of Nyamagabe and Karongi.
The activities implemented under this project include investments in infrastructure and equipment, teacher training, strengthening links between training and the professional sector, institutional support to Rwanda Polytechnics and Rwanda TVET Board and taking gender and sustainable development into account in a cross-cutting way.
The project starts in 2023 and will rely on technical assistance mobilized by Expertise France.
For more information, consult the AFTER project sheet 
Strengthening vocational training in connection with the environmental transition in Egypt
An exploratory study was commissioned by AFD to assess the opportunity to intervene in the vocational training sector in Egypt. The reflection will focus on strengthening skills and professional training in connection with environmental and climate transition/adaptation.
The exploratory study will focus on:
1) Provide a general overview of the vocational training sector in Egypt.
2) Analyze the adaptation of vocational training to environmental transition, particularly in the energy and green mobility sectors.
3) Propose and argue the main priorities for possible AFD intervention in Egypt in the vocational training sector.
