Promoting higher education focusing on employment and entrepreneurship

Context

Achieving a green transformation that is as socially inclusive as possible requires highly qualified experts who can take on new challenges in the energy industry and promote both energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies.

A number of universities in Senegal already offer corresponding courses of study. However, these need to be better oriented towards the labour market in order to make it easier for graduates to find adequate jobs and to promote youth employment.

The Ministry for Higher Education, Research and Innovation has already initiated reforms and founded new, decentralised, practice-oriented training institutions that combine vocational and university education. These are called Instituts Supérieurs d’Enseignement Professionnel (ISEP).

Objective

The education and training of experts in renewable energies and energy efficiency in Senegal has improved in terms of quality, quantity, employment orientation and the promotion of entrepreneurial skills.

Approach

The project assists the Government of Senegal in three fields of action:

1. Together with KfW, the project is supporting the establishment of a sixth ISEP that is to serve as a model institution for training in renewables, energy efficiency and the environment in Mbacké (Diourbel region). With KfW providing assistance on the construction of the institution's green campus, the project provides advisory services on the development of technical and administrative skills.
2. The project is advising the existing ISEPs on enhancing the employment orientation of their education and training courses. These include two-year courses for specialised technicians in relevant fields and short training courses on the productive use of renewable energies.
3. The project is enabling the ISEPs and other universities to support promising business ideas put forward by students and graduates. It is developing a cross-institutional pool of qualified coaches to establish the entrepreneurial spirit and corresponding skills at these universities in the long term. In addition, strategies to promote innovations support the advancement of women entrepreneurs.

Last update: May 2023