Case Study

Accreditation supporting the Ivorian Government’s project for the employability of young people based on Industry 4.0

Summary

The “Employment 4Youth – Industry 4.0 to promote youth employment in Côte d’Ivoire” program was launched on November 11, 2022, in Abidjan.

This project aims to offer new employment opportunities to young Ivorians by taking advantage of Industry 4.0. It is financed by the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of the Federal Republic of Germany (BMZ).

In the implementation of this project, the capacity building component is essential. As such, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), which provides technical support to Côte d’Ivoire for its implementation, carried out a consultation of stakeholders, including the West African System of Accreditation (SOAC WAAS), the multi-economy accreditation body in West Africa covering Côte d’Ivoire. The objective of consulting SOAC WAAS was to identify how to ensure the quality of training, with credible exams to confirm the skills acquired by learners. ISO/IEC 17024 Conformity assessment – General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons accreditation was presented. SOAC recently began offering accreditation to ISO/IEC 17024, which is a main scope of the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA). It is internationally recognized and provides a global standard for assessing and certifying the competence of individuals in their respective fields.

Background

The main objective of this project is to help Côte d’Ivoire increase youth employment and improve working conditions, by structuring and consolidating a digital economy ecosystem and particularly that of Industry 4.0. This objective will contribute, in targeted sectors, to preparing the ground for a structural transformation of the Ivorian economy, leading to the creation of sustainable jobs.

This will include supporting:

• The development of a training capacity dedicated to 4.0 knowledge in professional centres, universities, and business schools.
• The establishment and strengthening of institutions and 4.0 centres for sharing training, knowledge, experience and activities (multi-country intervention).

It is implemented, in Côte d’Ivoire, by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, with technical assistance from UNIDO.

Strategy

In its policy to support the success of this program, SOAC WAAS presented the advantages of ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation, to make qualifying professional training credible. One of the prerequisites will be the development of a training and examination course on Industry 4.0 by the specialized structures of the Ivorian Government, with the support of UNIDO. Around the world, organizations offer qualification exams as a certification. However, only accredited certification bodies under ISO/IEC 17024 standards are assessing and certifying the competence of individuals in a respective field based on a credible scheme. SOAC is ready to be part of this change and ensure the sustainability of the results of this program in Côte d’Ivoire.

Results and impact

By associating SOAC with the project, the following results and impacts could be achieved:

• An ISO/IEC 17024 / Industry 4.0 accreditation program available in Côte d’Ivoire.
• Pilot certification bodies accredited according to the ISO/IEC 17024 / Industry 4.0 standard.
• Young Ivorians with quality training guaranteed by the SOAC accreditation of the certifiers involved.
• Ultimately, a program with global potential if SOAC extends its scope by signing the IAF MLA for ISO/IEC 17024