Engaging informal companies in dual VET
This BarCamp focused on innovative approaches to integrating informal companies into dual VET systems.
One keynote input was provided by Christine Hofmann, ILO Regional Office for Africa, provides a overview of informal apprenticeship systems across Africa and their critical role in youth skills development and employability. It highlights major research findings and insights into why informal apprenticeships remain economically viable, relevant, and attractive to young people. The presentation also explains how ILO labour standards (e.g. Recommendation 204 on transitions to formality and Recommendation 208 on quality apprenticeships) can guide governments in strengthening informal systems through better governance, recognition of prior learning, improved master craftsperson capacities, and safer working environments. It concludes with key policy recommendations to integrate informal apprenticeships into national TVET systems and support decent work transitions.
A second keynote was provided by Michel Ducommun, Velafrica, showcases a hands‑on example of successfully engaging informal micro‑enterprises in a dual training model. Velafrica (active in 10 Sub‑Saharan countries) shares insights from developing a dual bicycle mechanic apprenticeship system in Burkina Faso, grounded in extensive sector mapping. With 99% of the sector operating informally, the model builds a structured training ecosystem through certified reference centres, decentralised training workshops (DCTPs), trained vocational trainers, and close collaboration with local repair shops. Results include 33 dual training workshops, 400 apprentices, 250 trained workshop owners, literacy programs, and fully validated CQB/CQP curricula. Despite the challenges of insecurity, low basic education levels, and minimal associative structures, the model demonstrates how dual VET can upgrade informal sectors and build trust, skills, and formal recognition.
Key Messages and Take‑aways from the BarCamp Couch Sessions
The breakout sessions – hosted by the ILO, Velafrica, and FORCE Benin – focused on practical strategies, field experiences, and collaborative solutions for engaging informal companies in dual VET. Across the discussions, participants emphasized that effective engagement starts with trust, and that building trust requires consistent presence, transparency, and shared problem-solving rather than top‑down interventions.
- From the ILO perspective, trust-building also depends on better data, stronger local ownership, and adherence to decent work principles, including the prevention of child labour, ensuring equality, and improving social protection for both apprentices and master craftspersons. The session highlighted challenges such as the lack of reliable data, sustainability risks once donor funding ends, and the need to integrate apprenticeships into national systems without undermining what works in the informal economy. Recommendations included avoiding over‑subsidisation, strengthening market orientation, and improving recognition and prestige through certification and community awareness campaigns.
- Velafrica’s session illustrated how formalising training pathways – before formalising businesses – creates a safer and more achievable entry point for informal workshops. Their Burkina Faso experience shows that early context mapping, patient relationship-building, and clear communication with parents and community leaders are essential. Trainers like Pauline Yaméogo demonstrated how certification and training not only improve workshop quality and revenue but also elevate the professional identity of informal trainers. Formal recognition (e.g., two-year certified programmes) was seen as a decisive factor for motivating youth and employers alike.
- FORCE Benin added insights into balancing formalisation with the flexibility of informal systems. Participants noted that while written training contracts and collaboration frameworks help clarify responsibilities, they must not disrupt the social trust networks on which informal apprenticeships rely. Carefully tailored incentives, such as access to modern tools, improved infrastructure near workshops, or training for master craftspersons, proved effective motivators. FORCE Benin also highlighted concerns that certified apprentices might become competitors, stressing the role of intermediary organisations in supporting dialogue, offering reassurance, and fostering longer-term cooperation.
Together, the breakout sessions underscored that building bridges between informal and formal systems is a gradual process: it requires steady trust-building, modest and context‑appropriate incentives, and clear, recognised training pathways that respect the realities of informal work while opening doors to broader opportunities.