1. The principal PPET issues PPET is urgent and of strategic importance because of the social pressures (50% of young people outside the euducation system following EPT) and the economic pressures (90% of young people entering the world of work without qualifications), but it remains marginal and under- financed In theory there is an agreement to integrate the formal and the informal in a unified initiative, but this integration is hindered by the absense of recognition of non-formal and informal in terms of finance and certification

2. The principal PPET issues Two emerging key points : the professionalisation both of young people in work and those who remain non-qualified and of the training of young people in rural areas But neither of these points emerged from the discussions or the working groups

3. The main agreements There is need for national strategies and operational policies at central and local levels Both public and private partners need to be involved in defining how this policy is rolled out Statistical and analytic tools must be strengthened in order to enable effective and co-ordinated piloting of the entire PPET initiative

4. The main agreements The skills profiles and curricula of training need to be defined in relation to local social and economic contexts and must encourage the employment of young people where they live EPPT must be targeted on gaining employment in the qualified labour market

5. Discussion points EPPT must be co-ordinated and piloted, but under which national structures, leadership and responsibility : Ministries operating in the field of TVET? Co-ordination of ministries responsible to Prime Ministers? Those set up by autonomous and multi-partner bodies ? A precise diagnosis needs to be made of the evolving needs of the labour market ; but who takes the lead in this? Public authorities, professional bodies, social partners ?

6. Points for exploration and further debate PPET versus TVET? What is the difference between both concepts? The competences required in basic education : namely lifeskills, general skills, entrepreneurship skills ? Moving from recurrent experiments to a consolidation of reformed or improved apprenticeship : how can this be done within the EPPT structure ?

7. Points for exploration and further debate National qualification frameworks : how to recognise the non-formal and the informal within them, and create progression and mobility within different schemes ? Forecasting skills and competences : is this a question of diagnosing emerging occupations or of establishing flexible training and qualification pathways as close as possible to local and sectoral labour markets ?

8. Action guidelines Insofar as public financing fails to succeed in lending crebility to initiatives like reformed apprenticeship, the routes to innovatory careers in rural areas and all the emerging forms of alternance, nothing much is likely to change in African countries There will be no integrated PPET system unless there is positive recognition and certification of skills acquired at work

9. Action guidelines One of the difficulties encountered by all reforms is to pass from experiment to consolidation and deployment : it is more than ever necessary to develop the capacity to build systems and to roll out initiatives that have proved successful Reinforcing the capacity of all involved in EPPT/TVET is of great importance : trainers, economic and professional partners, decision-makers…