Citizen Graduate Employment Program

PED-Ci builds on PED while enriching it with a civic dimension. Despite efforts deployed since 1992 with the classic PED, graduate youth unemployment remains a major challenge:

• Young graduates from higher and secondary education struggle to find first employment;
• Employers require prior professional experience that young graduates don't yet have;
• The need for a larger-scale response emerged, leading to PED-Ci's creation with an ambitious goal of 175,000 placements in 3 years (50,000 in the first year).

PED-Ci aims to:

• Facilitate the professional insertion of 175,000 young graduates in 3 years;
• Offer a valuable first professional experience to inexperienced young people;
• Allow companies to evaluate candidates over a 2-year period before permanent recruitment;
• Promote civic engagement of young graduates;
• Significantly reduce the graduate unemployment rate.

PED-Ci targets young graduates from higher and secondary education, without trade or professional experience seeking their first employment opportunity.

Qualification levels concerned:

• License/master degree holders;
• Baccalaureate level;
• Lower secondary education or vocational training diplomas.

PED-Ci operates on a 2-year placement period, giving companies time to evaluate candidates for permanent positions.

Implementation process:
1. Company application: the company submits its habilitation request to FNE;
2. Capacity assessment: FNE evaluates the company's hosting capacity;
3. Candidate selection: identification from FNE databases;
4. Contract signing: tripartite agreement FNE-company-intern;
5. Continuous follow-up: regular support by FNE advisors.

Monthly allowances by level:

• License/Master: 150,000 FCFA;
• Baccalaureate level: 100,000 FCFA;
• Lower secondary/Vocational training: 75,000 FCFA.

PED-Ci financing relies on a cost-sharing mechanism between FNE and partner companies:

• FNE covers part of the monthly allowance paid to the intern;
• The host company pays the remainder.

Tax advantages for employers:
Companies benefit from tax advantages on allowances paid to PED-Ci interns.

All FNE intermediation services are free for both companies and candidates.

For young graduates:

• Acquisition of professional experience over a significant duration (2 years);
• Monthly remuneration adapted to qualification level;
• Possibility of permanent recruitment at the end of the internship;
• Development of professional and civic skills.

For employers:

• Access to motivated workforce at reduced cost;
• Tax advantages on paid allowances;
• 2-year evaluation period before permanent recruitment;
• Contribution to training the future generation of professionals.

For Cameroon:

• Massive reduction in graduate unemployment;
• Better alignment between youth skills and company needs;
• Strengthening of national human capital.