Kinshasa, November 19th, 2025 (CPA). – Congolese universities were called upon Wednesday to become factories for innovative talent and to integrate capacity-building programs into their curricula, during the second day of the national round table on youth employment and entrepreneurship, held in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
« Universities must become talent factories, not theoretical institutions. They must provide physical spaces for learning centers, teachers trained in professional standards, hybrid programs (theory, practice, and industry), professional incubators, and sector-specific laboratories (agriculture, digital, energy, health). “It is essential to systematically integrate capacity-building programs into existing curricula,” said Michee Mukwamu, project management professional at Vodacom DRC.
He said that the government must also take the lead by creating a National Capacity Building Council bringing together the Ministry in charge of Employment, the Ministry of Higher Education, the private sector subcontracting regulatory authority (ARSP), universities, the private sector, technical partners, and the DRC PMI for methodology and monitoring. This council will define sectoral priorities, the volume of skills to be produced, quality standards, and partnership governance. “The state must provide a legal framework that includes official recognition of private and hybrid certifications, the requirement for job descriptions to be updated every two years, and the obligation for large companies to offer a quota of apprentices,” he said. For Michee Mukwamu, the private sector drives real demand. Companies must provide sought-after skills with a detailed description of needs, skill sets, and a list of priority occupations.
“They must also provide industrial mentorship with a quota of mentors per company, regular involvement in programs, and supervision of practical projects,” he said, adding: “With regard to immersions, it is necessary to offer internships, work-study programs, long-term apprenticeships, real mini-missions in startups and SMEs, as well as a defined conversion rate from internship or incubation to financing.” According to him, technical partners such as the World Bank, UNDP, ENABEL, and FCDO can provide funding for equipment, program accreditation, international expertise, monitoring tools and indicators, scholarships for trainers and mentors, and the digitization of courses. In his view, they guarantee the quality, neutrality, and sustainability of the system.