The Success of Apprenticeships

19Apprenticeship Management in Africa: The Case of Madagascar

19.1. Introduction

With a population of 24 million inhabitants made up of a melting pot of 18 ethnic groups, Madagascar is the fifth-largest island in the world it’s located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, with a geographical area of 587,041 km². Ranked 142nd in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 154th on the Human Development Index (HDI) in 2016, the country had an inflation rate of 8.3% in 2017, according to INSTAT, making the Red Island one of the least developed countries in the world.

Despite the existence of great mineral and natural resources (90% of endemic species), exploited mainly by Western interests, 90% of the Malagasy population now lives in extreme poverty with less than €2 a day (a liter of petrol at the pump costs €1), the monthly minimum wage is almost €40, in a context of insecurity and permanent political instability.

Like many African countries, Madagascar’s socioeconomic development is largely based on its ability to build effective human capital, both in the public and private sectors, in our postmodern society. Faced with the urgent need to develop the skills of its leaders at different levels, highlighted in the recent work of Ramboarison-Lalao and Gannouni (2017), to what extent do training and learning methods based on Western models contribute to efficient apprenticeships within Malagasy future managers?

19.2. Higher education in management sciences in Madagascar

The private ...