The “Support for the Global Initiative for Decent Jobs for Youth in the Sahel region” project aims to support countries in the design and implementation of a national framework and initiatives to promote quality apprenticeships. In this context, five case studies in the five West African countries (Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger and Togo) were carried out to analyze their professional apprenticeship systems and to propose recommendations for a transition to quality apprenticeships¡ as defined by the ILO. In view of the strengths of the different apprenticeship systems, on the one hand, and the challenges, on the other, specific national recommendations were developed. For each country, these recommendations provide measures to improve traditional (informal) apprenticeships and to execute the transition from dual (formal) learning to quality apprenticeships as defined by the ILO.