Employability and Professional Integration: Analysis of the Constraints Linked to the Contribution of the Youth Employment Agency of Yopougon

ABSTRACT :Purpose- This article examines the state of affairs in regard to the contribution of the Youth EmploymentAgency (AEJ) of Yopougon to the professional integration of young people. It raises the question of professionalintegration and employment in one of the largest suburbs of Abidjan the capital city of the Ivory Coast. Like inmost countries of the world, the history of professional integration in the Ivory Coast naturally begins with thehistory of education and training. De François Syngly (2000) observed that “social integration is considered asaprerequisite for professional integration” and “integration must also be viewed in a multidimensional way. Thisview was effectively shared by Stone Madeleine (1999).Design/Methodology/Approach –The approach taken is a combination of textual analysis and field study.Indeed the empirical research has weight significantly in this research as the personnel of the Agency and otherstakeholders have been contacted for their input.Findings –This research found that despite the apparent willingness of the state to provide for training andemployment of the youth through the AEJ there are inadequacies in terms of the tax burden on companies,unfair competition and significant lack of employment for the youth.Originality/ Values -The value of this paper rest on the idea that the Ivorian government, through the Ministryof Youth[romotion and Youth ployment, has not been able to achieve its goals in terms of tackling the alarmingyouth unemployment. This is appealing in that it demandsa strategic approach to the whole question of training,integration and youth unemployment in the Ivory Coast.

Keywords: Professional Integration, Youth Unemployment, Employability