International Development Grant

Training-Employment Adequacy in the Kéniéba District of Mali

Project Number: CA-3-D002669001

Status: Closed

Country/Region:

Mali 100.00%

Maximum Contribution: $5,392,894.00

Start Date: October 17, 2016

End Date: June 30, 2020

Duration: 3.7 years

Project Description

This project aims to provide the population of communities in the vicinity of the Fékola mine in the Kéniéba district of Mali with increased incomes through employment skills and entrepreneurial support programs. The training is based on the competency-based approach (CBA) and covers the improvement of individual professional skills entrepreneurship as well as self-employment. The project has three components: (1) the development of the vocational training offer in the Kéniéba circle; (2) capacity building of the local workforce and local entrepreneurship; and (3) strategic public-private networking between local actors.

Expected Results

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) strengthened organizational management of educational institutions in employment skills in Mali; (2) improved implementation of employment skills programs that integrate the environment and address the diverse needs of the labor market or entrepreneurship for young people women men and vulnerable groups; and (3) strengthened collaboration between educational institutions in employment skills and private sector enterprises.

Progress & Results Achieved

Results achieved as of the end of the project (June 2020) include: (1) 945 people strengthened their capacity in vocational training relevant to the supply chain of the mining sector; (2) among the 554 people (of which 146 were women) trained 543 (of which 141 were women) were certified in trades relevant to the local economy (masonry photovoltaic electricity plumbing catering metal construction building and public works auto mechanics entrepreneurship agricultural processing literacy); (3) 238 people (of which 35 were women) were hired mainly by the mining company B2GOLD. Among the learners contacted 93 (of which 41 were women) confirmed that they were looking for work; (4) 19 cooperatives (of which 13 were led by women) comprising 391 people (of which 256 were women) received technical support related to their management. The 19 cooperatives were registered on B2GOLD's supplier list and 13 of them signed a supply contract with B2GOLD; (5) job fairs were organized at the Kayes Regional Council which brought together more than 30 people from different strata of civil society private companies national and local state structures; (6) the project supported consultations on the development of a new national strategy on vocational training. The results achieved as well as the lessons learned and good practices developed for the training-employment matching including those related to the integration of gender in training strategies to promote women's employability were shared in the training-employment commission; (7) an equipped and certified vocational training center was built for the Kenieba circle. The extension of the Tambaoura vocational training center in Kéniéba enabled the specific needs of women and men to be taken into account through equipped rooms dedicated to women's entrepreneurship and the opening of an information desk focused on women's micro small and medium enterprises; and (8) the project increased the employment rate of approxi

Key Information

Executing Agency:
CRC Sogema Inc.

Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada

Program:
YFMInternaAssistPartnershp&Programing Br

Last Modified:
September 19, 2025

Development Classifications

DAC Sector:

Vocational training 25%
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) development 25%
Mineral/mining policy and administrative management 50%

Aid Type: Project-type interventions

Collaboration: Bilateral

Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation

Selection Mechanism:
Call for Proposals

Policy Markers
Level 1 Gender equality
Major Funding (>$1M)
Budget Breakdown
2016-04-01 to 2017-03-31 $5,392,894 CAD
Geographic Information
209
Reference ID: 154