ILO supports Guinea in strengthening employment and SMEs through labour-intensive public works

Conakry (ILO news) – From 23 to 27 March 2026, the International Labour Organization, through its EMPINVEST branch and in collaboration with the International Training Centre in Turin, organized a training-of-trainers workshop in Conakry on procurement for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within employment-intensive investment programmes (EIIP). The training brought together technical staff from AGETIP, representatives of sectoral ministries, and other key public stakeholders involved in employment and infrastructure development in Guinea.

This initiative aimed to strengthen national capacity in public procurement procedures for SMEs with a view to modernizing public financial management and promoting youth employment, while enabling the development of community infrastructure for the benefit of local populations.

Opening the workshop, the Minister of Youth and Sports highlighted the training’s contribution to the Simandou 2040 Programme, a national initiative aimed at driving economic transformation and creating jobs for young people in Guinea. He stressed that labour-intensive public works approaches provide concrete employment opportunities for youth and vulnerable groups, while promoting transparent, efficient, and standards-based public procurement practices.

This training was structured around three main activities :

1. the presentation of training modules,
2. the facilitation of interactive training sessions, while monitoring the formative assessment process,
3. a field visit to an ongoing construction site in the city of Conakry, allowing participants to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.

The presentations and sessions were led by EIIP specialists from the ILO in Geneva (Cyrano Ombolo) and Dakar (Fréderic Bandon) across twelve modules, namely:

1. Overview of HIMO approaches,
2. Technological choices for project implementation;
3. Preparation of cost estimates;
4. Procurement;
5. Responses to the Request for Proposals (RFP) and bid preparation;
6. Contractual risk management;
7. Organization of a HIMO construction site;
8. Management of environmental aspects;
9. Occupational health and safety;
10. Work reporting and monitoring;
11. Train-the-trainer methods.

In addition to strengthening individual skills, the training also helped create a network of trainers ready to play a key role in rolling out labour based training programs for SMEs, in line with AGETIP’s strategic plan.

This initiative thus helps strengthen national capacity for the implementation of EIIP projects, emphasizing the quality, safety, and efficiency of construction sites, as well as the transfer of skills to future beneficiaries.

The training concluded with a certificate award ceremony presided over by the Minister of Youth, in the presence of members of his cabinet and the Director General of AGETIP.

© AGETIP

© AGETIP

© AGETIP

© AGETIP

Online links:

Guinea: AGETIP launches training on procurement with SMEs, using the HIMO approach

AGETIP : lancement officiel d’une formation des formateurs sur la passation des marchés publics avec les PME (available only in french)