On the occasion of the 138th International Labor Day, and in the wake of the revitalization of training centers specializing in public works, with ten created in each region, a conference-debate was organized on April 29, 2024 at the Amphi 500 of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Travaux Publics in Yaoundé.
“Qualifying training in the public works sector and opportunities in the implementation of road infrastructure projects in Cameroon” was the theme that guided the various speakers on Monday April 29, 2024. In the front row was the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, accompanied by the Secretary of State to the Minister of Public Works in charge of Roads, Armand Ndjodom, and the Secretary General of the institution. A large number of young people came to find out about training courses leading to qualifications in the Building and Public Works sector, and the training opportunities offered by the Public Works Vocational Training Centers. The aim of the conference was to present the various training opportunities offered by the government, in line with the President of the Republic's road and motorway infrastructure development program, with a particular focus on training opportunities offered by institutions attached to the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Travaux Publics. Four presentations provided the audience with information on a number of topics: Profiles and skills required by employers in the public works sector, secondary trades in the public works sector as the basis for quality road infrastructure, training opportunities at vocational training centers for public works trades, training institutions under the MINTP umbrella, skills training and the economic benefits of road infrastructure projects. Speakers on these sub-themes were Virginie LEKEUFACK, Design Engineer, President of the ENSTP Management Committee, Michel MBEM NGOMBE, Director of Maintenance and Protection of Road Assets and Acting Director of Road Investments, Pr. Georges Elambo Nkeng, Director of ENSTP Yaoundé and Pr. Désiré AVOM, Agrégé des sciences économiques, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management at the University of Yaoundé II-Soa.
Thanks to its diversity, the building and civil engineering sector offers countless career opportunities where young people can develop and flourish as part of a generally active team, in a rewarding profession. On the whole, it was noted that secondary trades occupy an important place in the realization of road projects, whether it be reinforcement, laboring, carpentry, among others. Public works, in particular, represent activities linked to public and urban development, through the construction and renovation of roads, streets, drains, sewage systems and all other infrastructure vital to our society. The ENSTP Director stressed that it is possible to enter the construction and public works sector without a diploma. Young people interested in this field, whether in school or not, were told that there are a multitude of options to explore, depending on their skills, preferences and career aspirations. The quality of road and motorway infrastructures depends on the work of engineers, but also on specialized workers, hence the need for qualitative and quantitative training of these personnel. As for skills training, it was pointed out that this contributes significantly to improving living conditions for the population and infrastructures in general. In his speech, the Minister of Public Works appealed to young Cameroonians of all school levels to be trained to DQP, CQP and above all VAE, as their socio-professional integration in the building and public works sector, and in road and motorway infrastructure, depends on it.
From April 29 to 30, 2024, the esplanade of the regional delegation of public works in the Centre region will host an open house on all the training opportunities available in the 10 regional centers.
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Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, MINTP
« The truth is that the public works trades are all about support and execution. You can't imagine building a road without reinforcement and formwork, because the engineers who designed the road won't be doing the execution work. We've noticed a flurry of engineers and fewer and fewer support staff. The result is an inverted pyramid of employment in the public works sector, with a base rich in engineers but lacking in technicians and skilled workers, which sometimes delays execution because skills are in short supply. We need to give skills to young people in search of jobs, and this is the basis of the presidential decree which, in reorganizing the school system, created these technical training centers in the country's ten regions. ».
Clément Noumsi
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