"Center for Technical and Vocational Training Senegal – Japan (CFPT: Centre de Formation Professionnelle et Technique Sénégal - Japon)" has been playing the role of a center of excellence among French-speaking African countries to increase human resources for industrial development.
The CFPT was established in 1984 with the support of Japan to meet the shortage of entry- and middle-level technical workers, which was an important target in the country's 6th four-year economic development plan (81/82-84/85). The center was designed from the outset with the idea that Senegalese human resources would be nurtured by Senegalese instructors. Since its establishment, the institute has trained about 2,300 technicians and engineers who completed its two- or three-year programs .The courses have come to be recognized as the country's top level programs, with their completion being treated as a certified qualification for studies in France and Canada
Trainees acquire technical skills through practical training.
Over the years, the CFPT gradually developed its own knowledge and skills best suited to the country's needs. At first, the training content was heavily influenced by what was brought by Japanese experts. With time, however, various innovations were made to produce locally adjusted technical training systems. One small example of such adaptation is that at the CFPT, the students—future leaders in the workplace—are expected to maintain the workshop (work place) in an orderly, safe and clean fashion, according to the key lessons of the 5S doctrines—Sorting, Set in order, Systematic cleaning, Standardizing, and Sustaining. While maintaining its original message, this principle was localized and introduced into the Senegalese context with due modifications to make it suit local labor customs.
While building up its own capacity, the CFPT started supporting a large number of countries—more than 20 of them—in their human resource development; in 1999, in cooperation with JICA, it started providing 16 French-speaking countries with international training programs. Eventually, the Institute came to have about 15% of their BTI and BTS (both of them are the names of technical qualification in Senegal) trainees coming from other countries. Cultural and socio-economic similarities with the neighboring French-speaking countries certainly facilitated the transfer and sharing of technologies and knowledge. This has resulted in making CFPT one of the core institutions for the development of human resources in West Africa.
One major beneficiary of such cooperation is the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Under the JICA's technical cooperation to DRC's National Institute of Professional Preparation (INPP), CFPT provided a technical training to core instructors of INPP.
*This text was edited largely based on JICA Research Institute's publication titled "For Inclusive and Dynamic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa" (April, 2013): Chapter 13: "South-South and Triangular Cooperation for Sub-Saharan Africa's Development - With special emphasis on knowledge exchange and co-creation" by Shunichiro Honda, Hiroshi Kato and Yukimi Shimoda
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