From Classroom to the Sound Desk: Nicole and the ISEP Revolution in Senegal

Vocational education in Senegal once sat quietly in the shadow of traditional universities. Today, it’s powering the country’s bold push to fight youth unemployment, stimulate job creation, and drive sustainable growth.

At the Institut Supérieur d’Enseignement Professionnel (ISEP) in Thiès, classrooms are buzzing with energy. In one studio, Nicole Diedhiou checks sound levels before greeting her students. “Good morning, everyone!” she says with a wide smile.

Nicole, a graduate of ISEP-Thiès’s multimedia products management program, now balances her work as a Sound Technician at Radiodiffusion Télévision Sénégalaise (RTS) with teaching workshops at her alma mater. Her journey—from student to professional to mentor—captures how hands-on learning is transforming the lives of young Senegalese.

Building a skilled generation

With more than half its population under 25, Senegal is betting on youth to power its future. Yet as of 2019, only 3.5% of students were enrolled in short-term professional or technical programs, creating a mismatch between graduates’ skills and employers’ needs.

That changed in 2013 with the creation of ISEP-Thiès, the nation’s first public tertiary vocational institute. “Our programs are designed to align training with the needs of the industrial sector,” explains Dr. Mouhidine Abdoukhadre Sanoko, Deputy Director of ISEP-Thiès. “Since our first graduating class in 2014, around 90% of our graduates have successfully entered the job market.”

Learning that leads to opportunity

Everywhere on campus, training meets opportunity. In one lab, students wire electrical systems; in another, they test water quality samples. In computer rooms, groups cluster around multimedia designs and logistics simulations.

Each program lasts two years and targets growth sectors such as agriculture, energy, mining, construction, water and sanitation, tourism, commerce, and ICT. Courses are co-designed with private sector partners, and every student completes an extended internship.

“Training at ISEP is highly rewarding,” says first-year student Serigne Modou Mbengue from the renewable energy lab. “We see how theory connects to real problems. The technical skills we are acquiring inspire us to consider launching a business, potentially in equipment manufacturing or the renewable energy sector.”

For former student and now instructor Sokhna Ndiaye, the experience proved life-changing. “This program uniquely blends theoretical knowledge and practical experience,” she says from the Transport and Logistics Department. “We spend a lot of time in companies so that students see how the sector really works. When the institution needed me, I decided to come back. I feel fulfilled returning to contribute my knowledge to an institution that helped shape my career.”

From one institute to a national model

What began as a pilot in Thiès has become a cornerstone of Senegal’s higher education reform. Supported by the World Bank’s financed Tertiary Education Governance and Financing for Results Project, ISEP-Thiès trained over 7,300 students in a decade—about half women—with completion rates above 99% and nearly 90% employment soon after graduation. Around 15% have launched their own businesses.

These results spurred national expansion. Four new institutes opened in Diamniadio, Richard-Toll, Bignona, and Matam. Then in 2023, the Espoir-Jeunes (“Hope for Youth”) project—a $206.9 million initiative funded by the World Bank and partners—scaled the model further. Eight new ISEPs are under construction across Senegal, and ISEP-Diamniadio’s capacity is expanding from 400 to 1,500 students.

As of May 2025, 14,913 students—including 7,971 women—were enrolled across the network, with five ISEPs already accredited while others are in progress.

Expanding inclusion and impact

Gender equality remains central to ISEP’s mission. So far, nearly 9,000 women have benefited from its programs, with targeted outreach encouraging participation in fields like logistics, ICT, and engineering—areas long dominated by men.

ISEPs also track outcomes through a graduate tracer system, measuring job placement within six to twelve months after graduation. Results show strong employment, rising self-employment, and increasing graduate satisfaction. Across Senegal, small businesses in renewable energy, agro-processing, logistics, and multimedia production now count ISEP alumni as founders—each one adding to local job creation and resilience.

A future built on confidence

Back in Thiès, the afternoon sun lights up students leaving the campus, some straights out of workshops discussing already projects and internship plans. For them, vocational education is no longer a fallback—it’s a path forward.

“ISEP goes to great lengths to train its students well,” says Nicole. “Earning a degree there allows you to move forward, to have more confidence, and to give of yourself.”

Through graduates like Nicole, ISEP is proving that practical, industry-driven education can do more than create jobs—it can power transformation across an entire nation.