Minister of Higher Education Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo presided over the signing of a strategic agreement on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, at the National Advanced School of Engineering in Yaoundé. The accords, concluded with the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA), CAMTEL, and SOPECAM, aim to provide long‑term academic internships for students and young professionals completing their training.

The purpose of this partnership is to enhance graduate employability, support socio‑professional integration, and contribute to reducing youth unemployment and underemployment by better preparing them for the labour market. The event embodies the vision of a seamless synergy between university education and the structural needs of Cameroon’s national economy.

In the presence of a distinguished assembly of veteran scholars, leaders from both public and private sectors, and the wider university community, the three major institutions of economic and technical sovereignty signed the agreements with enthusiasm. The Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA), led by Director General Mrs. Paule Assoumou Koki; Cameroon Telecommunications (CAMTEL), under the leadership of Mrs. Judith Yah Sunday Achidi; and the Cameroon Press and Publishing Corporation (SOPECAM), headed by Mrs. Marie Claire Nana, all committed to offering students extended immersion within leading professional platforms, a concrete expression of the principle of “work‑study training.”

In her address, project coordinator Mrs. Ginette Patience Sosso highlighted the pressing social need behind this initiative. She noted that for decades, universities have produced brilliant, capable minds, yet the job market has not always given them the due recognition they deserve. With these solemnly signed agreements, a tangible and lasting bridge is now being built.

The Minister of State emphasized that Cameroon’s higher education policy rests on three pillars: professionalization of teaching, improved graduate employability, and quality assurance in training. Achieving these goals requires genuine immersion, hence the work‑study model, where students divide their time between theoretical learning at university and practical training in companies to gain hands‑on competence and real‑world know‑how.

It is within this framework that CCAA Director General Mrs. Paule Assoumou Koki underscored the CCAA’s role as a technical public institution and the secular arm of the State. For years, CCAA has supported youth training by offering various internships, including academic and professional ones and holiday placements based on availability. The aim is to provide students and young professionals with the opportunity to explore aviation careers, adapt to professional environments, and inspire new vocations in a sector that requires specialized technical expertise.

A major innovation of these agreements lies in their academic scope. The Minister of State announced that these long‑term internships will no longer be isolated modules but will carry academic credit. An integration which aligns with the pedagogical framework of the Licence‑Master‑Doctorat (LMD) system currently in force in Cameroonian universities, offering students pathways to professionalization.

 Sandrine ZOBO/Public Relations Unit

Translation: MKG/ARO-PRU