Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire – July 14, 2026
The second edition of the International Skilled Professions and Competencies Forum (FIMEC) will take place on July 15-16 in Abidjan, with the aim of making vocational training a strategic lever for employment, competitiveness, and sustainable development in Côte d’Ivoire.
Organized by the National Vocational Training Agency (AGEFOP), under the auspices of the Ministry of Employment, Social Protection and Vocational Training, the forum will be held under the theme: ‘Skills, Employment and Economic Transformation in Africa: The Strategic Role of Vocational Training’.
This second edition comes at a time when vocational training is being integrated into the Ministry of Employment, Social Protection and Vocational Training, as part of a government reform aimed at implementing an integrated public policy that combines vocational training, access to decent employment, and protection of workers, in favor of human capital development.
The orientation, inspired by President Alassane Ouattara and led by Minister of Employment, Social Protection and Vocational Training Maître Adama Kamara, is aligned with the priorities of the 2026-2030 National Development Plan (PND), which enshrines human capital as a major pillar of structural transformation in Ivorian economy.
With partners mobilizing over $80 billion to support the implementation of PND 2026-2030, skills development appears as a crucial condition for transforming these investments into inclusive growth, durable employment and shared prosperity.
During two days, FIMEC will bring together government officials, ambassadors, international organization representatives, technical and financial partners, business leaders, researchers, experts, and vocational training professionals around high-level panels, masterclasses, technical workshops, demonstrations of professions, and exchange spaces between companies and trainees.
Participants will particularly focus on the challenges related to artificial intelligence, digital transition, green skills, soft skills (behavioral skills), and evolving professions, with a view to better preparing young people, workers, and businesses for market employment changes.
The forum will also shine a light on inspiring stories of women and men who have benefited from vocational training, highlighting its role in strengthening employability, promoting entrepreneurship, and aligning competencies with business needs.
(AIP)
Bsp/haa