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VTI-MIFA

Vocational Training Institute

Hands-on training in a trade at Make IT For Africa in Bamenda, leading to vocational qualifications certified by the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training (MINEFOP).

Learn a trade by doing it

The Vocational Training Institute of Make IT For Africa (VTI-MIFA) trains young people and adults in practical trades at our centre on Old Treasury Street in Bamenda. It shares MIFA's motto: Building Skills, Connecting Opportunities.

Training is built around practice. You learn the theory that explains the work, you build the skill in the workshop or lab, and you finish with real experience in a workplace. Courses are hybrid: practical sessions happen at the centre, and some theory, demonstrations and follow-up happen online.

The Institute is organised in departments, and each department trains in a small number of specialities. Long courses prepare you for a national vocational qualification. If you are not ready for a long course, shorter and customised training draws on the same departments.

2
departments open for enrolment
5
specialities you can apply for now
12 months
for a long course in an open department
9
departments in the Institute in all

Open now

Departments open for enrolment

Each department trains in a small number of specialities. You choose one, and train in it from start to finish.

Open for enrolment

Computing and Information Technology

Practical computer, network, web and design skills. Every speciality leads to a Vocational Qualification Diploma (DQP).

  • Computer Maintenance
  • Website Master
  • Computer Networking
  • Graphic Design

4 specialities · 12 months · DQP

Open for enrolment

Social Studies

Training for people who want to support others through difficult times, as a psychosocial aid worker.

  • Psychosocial Aid Worker

1 speciality · 12 months · CQP

Three ways to train, from a full qualification to a single skill

Track A

Long courses for a national qualification

Structured, practical training in one speciality, organised in modules of theory, workshop practice and an internship. It prepares you for a Vocational Qualification Certificate (CQP) or Diploma (DQP) from MINEFOP.

Length
12 or 24 months, depending on the speciality
You receive
A CQP or DQP, issued by the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training

Suits

  • School leavers who have completed primary school or more
  • Young people looking for skills that lead to work
  • People starting their first career
  • Learners who have chosen a vocational path

How it works

  • Classroom: applied theory, safety, standards, calculations and regulations, plus entrepreneurship and professional ethics
  • Workshop or lab: structured practicals and repeated skill drills on real equipment
  • Internship: an attachment to a workshop, farm, firm, salon or construction site, guided by professionals
  • At the end, you sit the examination for your qualification

Track B

Short practical courses

Short, skill-focused courses drawn from the same departments and modules as the long courses, with most of the time spent in the workshop. The Institute designs and standardises each course.

Length
A few weeks to a few months
You receive
An Attestation of Vocational Qualification, issued by the Institute

Suits

  • Apprentices who want structured, organised training
  • Workers upgrading their skills
  • University students looking for hands-on experience or an internship
  • Anyone trying a trade before committing to a long course

How it works

  • Brief, applied classroom sessions
  • Most of the time in the workshop or lab
  • Time in a real workplace where the trade needs it
  • Theory, demonstrations and assignments can be followed online
  • A first step towards a long course, if you decide to continue

Track C

Training built around your needs

Short, intensive, competency-based training for a person, an organisation or a small group that needs a specific skill. You design it with the Institute, and it is always linked to one of the Institute's trades.

Length
Short and intensive, agreed with you
You receive
A Customised Competency-Based Attestation naming the skill domain

Suits

  • Practising artisans and technicians
  • Farmers
  • Digital professionals and entrepreneurs
  • NGO staff
  • Workers seeking a specialisation

How it works

  • Needs diagnosis: we look at the skills you have, what you want to learn, and your time and budget
  • Competency mapping: we match what you need to our modules, short courses and workshop capacity
  • Co-design: together we agree a short curriculum, clear practical outputs, the length and the cost
  • Delivery: one to one or in a small group, hybrid, with close mentoring
  • Validation: a practical demonstration, a task or project, or a review of your work

How training is organised

Where the learning happens

Every course moves between the same three places, so theory is always followed by practice.

  1. 1

    Classroom

    Theory and orientation: the knowledge behind the work, safety and standards, calculations and regulations, and the business and ethics of working in a trade.

  2. 2

    Workshop or laboratory

    Where the skill is built: structured practicals, repeated drills and learning on real equipment. In short courses, this is where you spend most of your time.

  3. 3

    The workplace

    Real-world practice: internships and attachments to workshops, farms, firms, salons and construction sites, guided by working professionals.

Qualifications

What each qualification means

The award depends on the course you choose. Every speciality lists its own.

DQPVocational Qualification Diploma

MINEFOP, after a national examination

For trades with a nationally harmonised programme. At the end of the course you sit a national examination set by the ministry. In French, Diplôme de Qualification Professionnelle, also written VQD.

CQPVocational Qualification Certificate

MINEFOP, after an examination set by the Institute

For trades whose programme is not yet harmonised nationally. The Institute's trainers set the examination and the ministry supervises it, so the certificate is still issued by the ministry. In French, Certificat de Qualification Professionnelle, also written VQC.

AQPAttestation of Vocational Qualification

The Institute

For short courses on specific topics, from a few days to a few months (Track B). The Institute awards it without ministry supervision. Also written VQA.

Customised Competency-Based Attestation

The Institute

For training designed around your needs (Track C). It states the skill domain you were assessed in. It is not presented as equal to a national diploma.

Not yet open

Departments opening later

These departments are part of the Institute but are not taking learners yet. Tell us which one interests you and we will let you know when it opens.

  • Not yet open

    Business and Tertiary Techniques

    Office Automation, Digital Marketing, Community Manager, Communication and Media

    Register your interest

  • Not yet open

    Mechanical and Automobile Technology

    Motor Vehicle Repairs, Motorbike Repairs, Agricultural Machine Repairs, Tyre Repairs

    Register your interest

  • Not yet open

    Civil Engineering Technology

    Masonry, Joinery and Cabinet Making, Plumbing and Sanitation

    Register your interest

  • Not yet open

    Electrical Engineering and Energy Technology

    Building Electrification, Renewable Energy, Solar System Installation

    Register your interest

  • Not yet open

    Home Economics and Hospitality Management

    Bakery, Hotel Management, Kitchen, Bar and Restaurant Management

    Register your interest

  • Not yet open

    Fashion, Beauty and Arts

    Professional Hairdressing, Interior and Exterior Decoration, Professional Barbing, Fashion Design

    Register your interest

  • Not yet open

    Agro-Pastoral Technology

    Urban Agriculture and Landscaping

    Register your interest

FAQs

Vocational training questions

Ready to learn a trade?

Tell us which speciality interests you and what you have studied so far. We will confirm the entry level, the current fee and the next intake.

Enquire about vocational trainingHow to enrol