The Regional delegate of the ministry of Employment and Vocational Training for the Southwest region, Igondoh Jonh Atosoh, has appealed to companies located within the region, to open their doors and welcome interns who apply to perfect their training.

The delegate made the call, during the region’s Sector Conference to launch the 2014/2015 vocational training year, under the theme 'The new dynamics of vocational training and apprenticeship for the enhancement of local employment'.

According to John Atosoh, most companies, especially the giant ones like SONARA and Chantier Naval, often reject the applications of trainees, which is very worrisome because the trainees need to do internships, in order to perfect what they learn at school, since 70% of the vocational field is practical.

To launch the 2014/2015 Vocational year, the representative of Southwest Governor, Secretary General Ndikum Fon Clement, said the task that lies ahead for the training year is apt, challenging and enormous, and thus for them to achieve their goals, authorities must do their job diligently, be effectively present at work and adopt strategies to ensure that students are well equipped with skills for gainful employment.

Ndikum Clement also enjoined authorities that as educationist, they should wage a relentless war against mediocrity, sexual abuse, laxity, corruption and other ills, and cautioned them against abandoning and deserting classrooms for greener pastures, or due to the enclaved nature of some areas, as these practices are past and heavy sanctions will fall on anyone found guilty.

In a welcome address earlier, the Chief of Cabinet at the Limbe City Council, Mbua Samuel, while representing the government delegate, said Vocational training is one of the key sectors in the realisation of vision 2035, and thanked organisers for choosing Limbe to host the launch.

He said the creation of decent employment requires quality training, for qualified Cameroonians who will contribute their own quota to the realisation of the vision and thanked the Head of State for the ongoing construction of the Higher Vocational Training Center in Bonadikombo, as it will help in correcting the impression of General education having an edge over technical education.

According to the regional delegate, the last training year recorded some success like entrance examinations into training centers, scholarships, promotion of jobs and manpower regulation, and he highlighted some activities carried out under the inspectorate of training.

Talking on the theme, the delegate said on focusing on the dynamics means that once trainees have the basic vocational skills, jobs comes looking for them; thus the ministry wants to open new avenues to impact more qualitative skills that can provide jobs at the local environment.

He said the regional delegation is leaving no stone unturned to shut down clandestine institutions, as he emphasised that the construction of the advanced school in Bonadikombo is a reality and the center will open its doors in 2015.

He said the creation of new SAR SN in Lebialem and Barombi, is a welcome initiative, and it goes to create awareness on the importance of vocational training.

Also, the delegate appreciated the role of PIASSI and the National Employment Fund in encouraging vocational training, in giving loans and organising seminars for sensitisation respectively.

John Atosoh also called on his collaborators to ensure efficient training at school and be transparent in their duties, as the Anti corruption Commission CONAC, is very active, thus they should be very careful in their different administration, so that they are not caught in the act, for the outcome is terrible.

However, the delegate echoed that the sector is still facing enormous challenges, as most centers are not properly equipped, low number of trainers, low number of trainees in some areas due to bad roads, lack of interest by some parents etc “gone are those days when many people thought that vocational training was left for the less privileged, today, if vision 2035 has to mean anything to us, then the time to engage in vocational training is now” he emphasised.

Most State vocational training centers it should be noted took off on September 8th, while most private ones took off on September 15.