Every institution of higher learning, public or private, has designed courses to the needs of the job market.

Against a backdrop of a high rate of unemployment among university graduates, the 1992-1993 university reforms ushered in a new era of professionalisation of studies in university education. One of the main goals was to expand and increase higher education opportunities and make university programmes more professional and responsive to market forces.

However, there was little to show on the ground, but rising unemployment amongst graduates until April 16, 2001 when a new law on the Orientation of Higher Education was passed with the adoption of the BMD (Bachelor’s-Master’s-Doctorate) system as one of the innovative elements to open up the university to the industry. Yet, the implementation of this law moved on crutches ever since. For almost a decade, institutions of higher learning continued to churn out graduates who found little or no place in the job market.

University authorities, students and enterprises seemingly did not even understand what was expected of them. It took several wake-up calls by President Paul Biya and the Ministry of Higher Education for things to start moving. In effect, while addressing youths on February 10, 2008, President Paul Biya, visibly preoccupied, was categorical. “The image of higher education must be radically transformed,” he stated emphatically.

To this effect, the Minister of Higher Education, Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo ushered in four key higher education programmes for the modernisation and professionalisation of classical faculties to guarantee the employability of their graduates. There was a sizeable increase of technical and technological institutes in State universities, in a bid to reinforce the employability of young graduates. Alongside State institutions, government gave a wide range of manoeuvre to private institutions of higher learning, which for the 2014-2015 academic year, officially number 147. They offer a rich variety of professional courses to students whose performances are remarkable in the job market once they graduate.

To woo the corporate world, the first-ever University-Business World Forum was organised on August 11 and 12, 2010 in Yaounde by the Ministry of Higher Education under the banner of “One student, One trade, One job.” It led to the signing of a Partnership Charter between Universities and Corporate World under the Business Cartel, GICAM, on December 20, 2010. Since then, several partnership agreements have been signed between prominent companies and university institutions, with already visible results. Most observers say the drive is slower than expected and the best is yet to come.