Vocational Training: Nearly 9,000 Candidates Take Exams

The number of young Cameroonians seeking vocational qualifications has risen from about 4,000 to nearly 10,000 in two years, according to statistics presented by the Interim Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Mou­ nouna Foutsou, during his visit to one of the examination centres in Yaounde on September 8, 2026, where he reflected on the growing interest in vocational training and skills deve­ lopment. The Minister was at the centre to su­ pervise the written phase of the Vocational Qualification Diploma (DQP) and assess the conduct of the exercise, which started last week with five days of practical assessments in various trades, including professional hair­ dressing, medical sales, automotive repair, buil­ ding electricity, plumbing and sanitary instal­ lation, cosmetology, and more. The DQP com­ bines theory, representing 30 per cent, and practice, accounting for 70 per cent. Minister Mounouna Foutsou used the occasion to call for greater awareness of professional qualifications, which he said remain less known among Cameroonians. According to the Minister, "regardless of their level of education, the youths can enroll in vocational training and obtain a DQP or a Professional Qualification Certificate (CQP) to acquire a trade and improve their employment prospects". Speaking on vocational training and its growing appeal, Ibrahim Abba, Director of the Department of Vocational Training and Guidance, said an initiative launched in 2023 was implemented across the country...