German city of Nettersheim and Ivorian city of Mankono to launch TVET cooperation project

A cooperation project between the Ivorian city of Mankono and the German city of Nettersheim will provide technical vocational education and training (TVET) for 50 young Ivorians on a regular basis.

To this end, the German partner plans to establish an educational centre in Nettersheim's Wood Competence Center with the help of several companies in the Eifel and Euskirchen region. The training programmes are designed to cover several fields of technical training, such as forestry and timber work, bioenergy, construction and metal processing.

Initiated by Massou Dosso, Ivorian minister of technical educational and vocational training, the cooperation aims to facilitate the country’s development in line with its education reform. After minister Dosso’s visit in Nettersheim, mayor Wilfried Pracht highlights the benefits for both partners. "What was planned as a short informal talk became an extensive discussion," as both cities share a great interest in sustainable forestry.

Accordingly, the needs and problems in forestry were of central interest when a delegation from Nettersheim visited Mankono. A cooperation agreement was signed, 1000 hectares of land where allocated for sustainable forestry, and the partners decided to extend their cooperation in technical vocational education to sustainable forestry.