Aligning vocational education and training with the labour market

Context

For decades, Tunisia’s greatest challenge has been to reduce its predominantly structural unemployment. There are some huge regional and demographic differences at play. The unemployment rate in rural regions in the south is more than twice as high as the rate in the north-east, and young people are disproportionately affected.

Moreover, graduates of vocational training also lack practical skills that are needed on the labour market, which are the prerequisite for their subsequent employability.

Objective

The Tunisian vocational education and training system incorporates the private sector to a greater extent, while training is of a higher quality and more aligned with the labour market.

Approach

Building on the predecessor module, the project assists with trying out training approaches that are strongly geared towards the private sector. To this end, it promotes in particular the skills of governmental officers responsible for the Tunisian vocational education and training system. Training courses aim to expand the knowledge of employees working in governmental agencies for cooperative technical and vocational education and training.

The project also encourages Tunisian companies – especially in sectors with high employment potential such as the textiles industry – to play a role in designing and structuring training programmes. At the same time, this safeguards their long-term operations. Together with the companies, the project therefore develops technical training courses that are tailored to their requirements. The project also works with vocational education and training bodies to optimise the curricula used in state-run vocational schools. This supports the schools in networking with the local private sector.

Last update: October 2023