Apprenticeship in Ivory Coast

The national framework is coordinated mainly by the Ministère de l’Enseignement Technique, de la Formation Professionnelle et de l’Apprentissage (METFPA). Its Direction de l’Apprentissage et de l’Insertion Professionnelle (DAIP) supports apprenticeship programmes, apprenticeship-place mapping, pedagogical monitoring, habilitation of apprenticeship masters and transition into work. The Direction des Examens et Concours (DEXC) handles examinations, the Fonds de Développement de la Formation Professionnelle (FDFP) supports financing and development, and the Chambre Nationale des Métiers de Côte d’Ivoire (CNMCI) supports artisan apprenticeship, master and apprentice cards and the Certificat de Qualification aux Métiers (CQM). Enterprises and maîtres d’apprentissage provide practical training, while the labour inspectorate deals with contractual and working conditions. Traditional or informal apprenticeship usually takes place with an experienced artisan or worker. Learning follows observation, imitation, trial and repetition, often without a training centre, written contract, insurance or formally recognised certificate. Apprenticeship rénové or amélioré combines this practical model with supplementary centre-based instruction and can lead to a first qualification. Modern apprenticeship uses structured company practice together with an authorised public or private centre such as a CFA, CFP or lycée professionnel. A company may also operate its own training centre. Government and partner programmes, including E2C, AEJ and some CNMCI projects, can add selection rules, practical training and sometimes an employment agreement, but they do not automatically guarantee a job. There is no single admission gate. Requirements follow the relevant campaign, trade, programme notice or decree. A state overview places many diploma pathways between ages 14 and 27; the CAP pathway can begin after 5e and the BT pathway after 3e. The BTS is a higher, adjacent transition generally entered after the baccalauréat or BT. Qualification pathways can begin from age 14 without a general maximum age, and a Certificat de Qualification Professionnelle (CQP) usually lasts no more than 12 months. Programme-specific requirements, available places and local offers must be checked directly with the responsible centre, regional or departmental direction, or relevant chamber. Companies provide real work and supervision by a maître or tutor. The training centre adds theory, technology and general subjects. Formal programmes increasingly require company placement during each training year, but the exact schedule depends on the programme and trade. An apprenticeship contract follows the occupation or diploma and may last up to three years. A period can be extended by up to one year when the training time was insufficient or when an examination failure requires additional preparation. CQP programmes can last about six to eight months or nine months, depending on the project and trade, while CQM programmes follow the minimum duration set for the occupation. The apprenticeship contract is written in French in five original copies and follows the model in arrêté 0195/MENETFP/DAIP. A probationary period may apply, and the contract itself is not subject to stamp or registration fees. The employer must provide complete and methodical training, safe conditions, protection of the apprentice’s integrity, release time for centre attendance and examinations, and protection from violence and harassment. The apprentice follows lawful instructions and work assignments, respects working hours and workplace rules, and attends the required training. A person under 18 may not take on minor apprentices. The contractual pre-rémunération is at least 30% of the SMIG, the statutory minimum interprofessional guaranteed wage, in the first year, 50% in the second year and 70% in the third year. An apprentice card can provide public-transport discounts under the rules applying to pupils and students. For a CQM, insurance against occupational accidents and diseases applies after the contract is concluded. A contract can end through events such as death, insolvency, force majeure, permanent closure or permanent incapacity, or it can be terminated by mutual agreement or for a legitimate reason in writing. Côte d’Ivoire has no single nationally verified apprenticeship fee. Financing can come from the apprenticeship tax, artisan contributions, apprentice fees, state subsidies, public funds, local authorities, partners or donations; an enterprise may also receive a tax credit in some circumstances. The CQM examination fee was 20,000 FCFA in the 2025 session. Fees, deadlines, documents, places and financing depend on the session, trade and programme. Formal qualifications include CAP, BT, BP, BEP and CQP. A CQP is issued by or under delegation from the responsible ministry after training and competency assessment, with sector or enterprise participation. The CQM formally recognises informal or artisan skills and does not represent a school level in the 2025 call. It generally requires at least age 17, the trade-specific minimum training period and presentation by the maître or a CNMCI-recognised qualified person. The examination can include a 15-to-20-minute oral test on trade knowledge and a practical test lasting up to four hours. The 2025 threshold was 12 out of 20; that session covered 32 of 245 trades and had 2,764 candidates, while 61 trades were announced for 2026. Annual trade lists, conditions and dates require fresh verification. A CAP, BT, CQP or CQM can support entry into employment, self-employment, entrepreneurship or further formal vocational qualification. The CQM is intended to give officially recognised status to informal skills and may support entry into or progression through a lycée professionnel, subject to the applicable rules. DAIP, AEJ and partner programmes can support insertion, but they do not guarantee employment. Validation des acquis de l’expérience (VAE) and E2C can provide later opportunities for a first vocational qualification or reconversion where the intended qualification is vocational. Regional differences mainly concern available trades, places and company or centre partners. The system is functionally comparable to some elements of company-based vocational training elsewhere, but its institutions, legal force and procedures are specific to Côte d’Ivoire.