The third edition of the University/Labour Market Forum opened in Yaounde on Friday December 27.
Cameroon being a growing economy has the desire to fight against poverty and youth unemployment. This is in accordance with one of the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs). It is in this light that the third edition of the University/Labour Market Forum opened at National Polytechnique in the University of Yaounde 1 on Friday December 27, 2013. The theme for this year was “Employability of certificates of higher education in the context of universities-enterprises partnership”.
Speaking at the opening the Secretary General of the University of Yaounde 1, Jean Emmanuel Pondi said the theme for this year is in perspective for the implementation of the partnership agreement signed between the Ministry of Higher Education and enterprises in the challenge of employment. What was particular this year was the pilot initiative workshops for the evaluation of the Universities-Business World partnership in four State universities (Buea, Maroua, Yaounde 1 and Yaounde II). The workshops were led by Professor Michel Tjade Eone, Head of University Research and Cooperation Division. Participants discussed on four major themes such as partnerships concluded between universities and enterprises, problem of internships, the state of university research at the service of the enterprise and the rate of external efficiency. The aim was to seek avenues for employment and training of graduates in order to meet the demands of the job market.
Given the difficulties university graduates face in getting direct employment and the limited number of professional schools in relation to the demands, there was need to create a synergy between the university and the labour market. This is what was done in 2010 during the first edition of the University/Labour Market Forum. The 2013 forum which dwells on the employability of university graduates into the labour market, aims at evaluating the effectiveness of this idea in the State universities, come up with good practices and forge a way forward.
