IMPACT OF REFORMS TO VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATION CERTIFICATE ON TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL INTEGRATION OF GRADUATES IN BENIN: CASE OF MUNICIPALITY OF PORTO-NOVO

Meeting market needs inevitably requires improving the skills of human resources and their ability to adapt to related changes. To address the significant challenges faced in the craft sector and improve the quality of its workforce, political will has initiated several reforms and, with the support of stakeholders, implemented numerous initiatives. This research aims to analyze the impact of these reforms, particularly those of the CQM(Certificate of Professional Qualification), on the training and professional integration of graduates. To obtain reliable data relevant to this research, a mixed-methods study was conducted. Interview and questionnaire survey techniques were used to collect data from 115 individuals divided into three target groups. The data were analyzed using the theories of Human Capital (Becker, 1964), social representations (Moscovici, 1961 & Jodelet, 1989), and the theory of the transition to the labor market (Elder and Kone, 2014). The collected data revealed some persistent challenges regarding the quality of training and the professional integration of graduates.