81269620-Innovating Curricula and Didactive Materials for Initial Training and Development of Distance Learning in Côte d'Ivoire

As a part of its reform agenda, the Government of Côte d'Ivoire is planning to expand its electricity generation capacities significantly, with an increase from the current level of just under 2 000 megawatts (MW) to 4 000 MW by 2020. The aim is to restructure the country's electricity mix, consistently increasing the proportion of renewable energy and improving energy efficiency up to 2030. There is major economic potential in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency, as international climate policy and financing will open up a wide range of opportunities. The costs for solar power are set to continue to fall and a host of energy efficiency measures are already being implemented. Despite the promising outlook, both areas are still in their infancy. Up to now, only a small number of well-qualified engineers, project planners and installation technicians have been available on the market. Moreover, small companies are lacking in expertise for suitable business models and appropriate financing options. Although a total of 63 vocational education and training organisations exist across the country, only six per cent of all school children in secondary schools undergo vocational training. On top of this, the basic training for occupational fields in renewable energy and energy efficiency lacks in practical relevance and often fails to meet the requirements of business. In addition, the performance level of teaching staff, especially at public schools, is in need of improvement. There is a lack of pedagogical knowledge, practical relevance and training expertise, and curricula are not regularly compared with the requirements of business. Women are clearly under-represented in technical training courses. However, training institutions are willing to take special measures to promote women. The Government of Côte d'Ivoire is increasingly making specialised local technical expertise and management know-how available to the market for renewable energy and energy efficiency. The project is part of the reform partnership between the Government of Côte d'Ivoire and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), together with the G20 Compact with Africa initiative. It has various different priority areas and focuses in particular on human resources development, organisational development and network-building. It assists selected individuals working in vocational education in boosting their skills and supports them in passing on task-based skills in the area of renewable energy and energy efficiency. In addition, the project advises public, private and civil society vocational schools and corporate associations on how to improve their core processes for cooperative training and market development in the area of renewable energy and energy efficiency. The project supports the development of dialogue platforms between business and training providers as well as knowledge management and the exchange of experience. The project is divided into four fields of activity, which are closely interconnected. Fields of activity 1 and 2 address the (further) development and implementation of qualification measures for renewable energy and energy efficiency. Field of activity 3 supplements the first two fields of activity, establishing a multi-actor coordination mechanism for vocational training in the area of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Field of activity 4 supports companies in market development and assists them in gaining initial experience with photovoltaics and energy efficiency. The project supplements the work of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), which is supporting the partner government in achieving its reform agenda goals in the areas of renewable energy, energy efficiency and climate protection.