The document discusses technical and professional education initiatives for sustainable development in Gabon. It aims to: 1) train young professionals for new industries, 2) create educational opportunities in rural areas with a focus on increasing female students, and 3) establish public-private partnerships for a new professional education system. Despite its resources, a third of Gabon's population lives in poverty. The country seeks to reduce poverty by promoting sustainable economic and human development through priorities like education, infrastructure, and renewable resource management.

1. Technical & Professional Education
for a Sustainable Development in Gabon
Manuel Dias da Graça
Ubifrance

2. Mission for a Sustainable Development

- Focus on training young professionals for entry and mid-level positions in
new promising industries.
- Create educational opportunities in rural areas with an emphasis on
growing the number of female professional students.
- Set Public/Private ventures for new professional educational system.
- Establish tax incentives for companies that sponsor human capital
- Launch a Pro-poor initiative

3. Where is Gabon?
- Land area: 267 667 km²
- Capital: Libreville
- Population: 1 520 000

4. FOCUS
Despite its economic resources, a third of the population lives below the
national poverty line ($71/month).
- Literacy rate: 84%

- School enrolment rate: 72.4%
- Median age: 18.6
- 0-14 years of age represent 36% of population
- Estimated workforce: 550,000
- 21% Unemployment
- 40% workforce under 25 is unemployed
- Minimum wage is $180.00/month
- 3.9% of country GDP invested in Education

6. Strategies
Reduce poverty by promoting sustainable economic and human development.
Gabon’s Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) document, 2006.
Priority sectors are:
Infrastructure and public facilities:

Sanitation and public health, as well as road maintenance;
Education and training:
Major concerns are basic education and technical education / vocational training.
The non-focal sector includes:
Development and sustainable management of renewable natural resources:
Management of national parks and development of communal tourism; and
Strengthening of private and public sector capacity,

8. 
- Projects concerning the satisfactory linkage of the education system to new
technologies and the promotion of the training-job
- Acquisition of XO laptops for the best pupils, students & researchers;
- Project to create a "Green city of Education and Knowledge", within the
framework of public/private partnerships.
- Set up a fund for tuition fees, boost the number of teachers of science subjects
and build reception facilities.

9. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF
Strengths of Gabon
- Business climate benefited from active reform programs and a regional economic boom.
- The country enjoys the political and financial support of Western countries.
Weaknesses of Gabon & Potential negative socio-economic outcomes
- The interest on public debt and the cost of subsidies weighs on public finances;
- The tourism sector, whose revenues are fundamental to economic growth, remains quasi
inexistent;
- Necessary global restructuration of the technical educational Gabonese system;
- Government needs to look into the efficiency of its management and transparency
practices.

11. 
Gabon is affiliated to the Organization for Business Law Harmonization in Africa
(OHADA). Legislation allows foreign investors to choose freely from a wide selection of
legal business structures, such as a private limited liability company or public limited
liability company.
Gabonese are very communal. When people are interested in something, they stare at it. It
is not rude to call something what it is, to identify someone by his or her race, or to ask
someone for something that is wanted. Foreigners are often offended by this. They may
feel personally invaded by having someone stand in their space, insulted at being called
white, and put off by people who ask them for their watch and shoes. None of these things
are meant in a negative way, however, as they simply reflect the up-front nature of the
Gabonese.