Tunisia has consistently given significant priority to the vocational training sector, which has experienced steady growth over the years.
A deep reform of the vocational training system remains a key factor in helping young Tunisians integrate into the job market and create more employment opportunities for unemployed youth.
According to recent figures from the Ministry of Vocational Training and Employment, Tunisia has 136 public vocational training centers with a capacity of 90,000 trainees, offering 270 specialties.
The private sector operates 3,000 centers hosting around 40,000 trainees.
In this context, Minister Riadh Chaoued highlighted that the sector contributes strongly to employment, with an insertion rate exceeding 80% in several fields and reaching 100% in certain specialties.
Meanwhile, centers for rural girls have been transformed into training and entrepreneurship hubs to address the socio-economic needs of rural areas.
Despite these achievements, the Tunisian Agency for Vocational Training (ATFP) still faces structural reforms to modernize the system and align it with the 2026–2030 Development Plan, to better meet labor market demands.
Minister Chaoued presented the 2026 budget, estimated at 1.063 billion dinars, up 5% from 2025.
The budget aims to accelerate infrastructure projects, develop training and employment programs tailored to regional needs, and support small enterprises and social and solidarity economy projects.
The allocations are distributed as follows: vocational training (494.3 M.D), employment (383.2 M.D), entrepreneurship development (161.3 M.D), and governance and support programs (25.1 M.D).
New training centers will be established, alongside updated curricula and digitized services in 42 employment offices, including electronic payment systems.
Regional partnerships with Libya and Algeria are also planned, along with efforts to align Tunisian certifications with the European Qualifications Framework.
The Higher Council for Education initiative aims to coordinate seven ministries to strengthen training policies and better match market needs.
By 2026, training capacity will reach 400 positions per center, with over 70 institutions* benefiting from maintenance and equipment projects, supported by international partnerships and an 8-million-dinar budget.
New specialties have been introduced, such as automotive mechatronics and aerostructure design, to meet labor market demands.
The public and private training systems together attracted 70,000 applications, of which 25,000 were accepted by public centers, while the private sector offers around 40,000 training positions across 200 specialties, mainly in services, tourism, and administration.
In total, 100,000 training opportunities will be available for 2025–2026, including vocational training contracts.
