Senegal

Vocational training and chamber support

Partner:

Union National de Chambres de Metiers (UNCM), Chambers of Skilled Crafts in Thiès and Dakar.

Sponsor:

1. Project: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through sequa gGmbH - Partner der deutschen Wirtschaft
2. Project: BMZ through Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Development Service)

Duration:

1. Project: 1993-2001
2. Project: 2003-2004

The Partnership Project in Senegal was based on an idea of the late Master Craftsman Georg Franz Marienfeld from the Koblenz chamber district. He developed contacts with Senegal in the eighties. In appreciation, the carpentry training center in Thiès today bears his name.

The project was financially supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through SEQUA from 1993 – 2001 and further supported by GTZ from 2003 – 2004.

The partnership of HwK Koblenz with the apex body of the Senegalese chambers of skilled crafts (UNCM) and the chambers of skilled crafts of Thiès and Dakar has resulted in a sustainable improvement of the organisational structure of the Senegalese skilled crafts by providing institutional support to a number of chambers and the apex body. Senegalese companies gained access to the international market through trade fair participations. Finally, the project established two vocational training centres for carpenters, from where a new training concept similar to the German Dual System has been promoted as a new model for Senegal.

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The project was almost permanently coordinated by a long term expert of HwK Koblenz as well as a number of short term experts. It provided equipment for the chambers and training centres and funded training and study tours of craftsmen, chamber staff and trainers in Senegal and Germany.