Do ICTs reduce inequalities in access to professional training in Cameroon?

Abstract

Purpose This work aims to assess the effects of information and communication technology (ICT) on inequalities in access to professional training (PT) in Cameroon. Design/methodology/approach This study used data from the fourth Cameroonian Household Survey (ECAM 4), the concentration index (CI) calculations and the Wagstaff et al. (2003) decomposition. Findings The preliminary results show that the CI calculations by groups of individuals reveal the existence of significant inequalities in favour of the poor. This is the case for all groups of individuals who use ICT tools, namely radio, internet, telephone and television. The results of the Wagstaff et al. (2003) decomposition reveal that an equitable distribution of income between those who use and those who do not use the telephone, radio and internet reduces inequalities in access to FP in favour of the poor. Originality/value Despite the wealth of literature devoted to the study of inequalities in access to education, the consideration of PT is still very marginal. In Cameroon, the literature devoted to the study of inequalities in access to PT is still almost non-existent, probably because of a low level of interest in the scientific community. However, as just seen, PT is a tool for combating unemployment, particularly in economies where the informal sector is important, insofar as the proportion of unemployed and inactive people is very low amongst the ones that have taken a PT course. Moreover, studies on the effects of ICT on inequalities in access to PT are still rare in the literature.