Algeria
The European Training Foundation (ETF) cooperates with and complements the work of the European Commission and the European External Action Service, including responding to requests from the Delegation of the European Union to Algeria, in its support to the country. This includes input to EU policy monitoring mechanisms and wider human capital developments reported in the Torino Process.
The ETF’s work focuses on close cooperation with the Ministry of Vocational Education and Training, notably through the Institut national de Formation et d'Enseignement professionnels (INFEP), the national institute for vocational education and training. INFEP also coordinates the survey on the continuing professional development of VET teachers and supports the implementation of the Torino Process.
In recent years, ETF cooperation has increasingly accompanied Algeria’s efforts to modernise vocational education and training, strengthen labour‑market relevance and support system‑level reforms.
In support of the European Union Delegation to Algeria, the ETF has been involved in different stages of implementation of EU programmes addressing human capital and skills development. It currently provides content and methodological advice to the Programme d’Appui à l’Adéquation Formation‑Emploi‑Qualification (AFEQ).
Read our 2025 update on Key policy developments in education, training and employment (ETF, 2026). For a quick overview, see below.
2025 developments at a glance
Demographic and economic context
Algeria’s population reached around 46.2 million in 2023 and continues to grow steadily. Economic growth remained positive in 2024–2025 despite lower hydrocarbon output, supported by public spending and expansion in non‑energy sectors. Inflation eased significantly in 2024, improving purchasing power, although monetary poverty remains widespread.
Education system and reform priorities
The education system remains anchored in the 2008 Education Directive Law, guaranteeing compulsory schooling from age 6 to 16. Recent operational reforms include expanded English‑language instruction, a national digitalisation roadmap, and strengthened student support measures. Participation in lower secondary education remains high, while enrolment in upper secondary education has declined slightly in recent years.
Vocational education and training (VET)
VET reforms build on the 2008 and 2018 framework laws. National consultations held in 2024 set priorities focusing on labour‑market‑aligned curricula, stronger work‑based learning, quality standards, entrepreneurship and digital transformation. In 2025, Algeria established a legal framework for Centres of Vocational Excellence and advanced preparations for introducing a Professional Baccalaureate to strengthen vocational upper‑secondary pathways
Work‑based learning and apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are a longstanding feature of Algeria’s VET system and remain more widespread than in many neighbouring countries. The 2018 Apprenticeship Law continues to support expansion, although monitoring of outcomes and quality remains limited. Public incentives and fiscal measures support employer participation.
Digital and green skills
Digital transformation has gained prominence through national strategies and the rollout of digital platforms supporting enrolment, administration and pedagogical innovation in VET. However, connectivity constraints, particularly in rural areas, continue to limit access. At the same time, green skills are emerging as a policy focus, with initial efforts targeting training for renewable energy, waste management and sustainable tourism.
Labour market developments
Algeria’s labour market remains characterised by low employment rates, high youth unemployment, limited female labour‑force participation and a relatively high incidence of vulnerable employment. Public employment services and active labour‑market programmes remain strongly oriented towards youth, with growing attention to digital tools, personalised counselling and entrepreneurship support.
Data, quality assurance and system governance
Public financing of VET is robust by international standards, and infrastructure investment remains significant. However, system performance is constrained by weak labour‑market intelligence, limited outcome data on graduate employment and learning achievements, and a quality‑assurance approach focused more on compliance than results. Governance remains centralised, with gradual steps towards greater institutional autonomy.
Priorities for 2026:
👉 Operationalise VET reform priorities. Translate the outcomes of the national VET consultations into a concrete, costed implementation roadmap, including the rollout of the Professional Baccalaureate and updated curricula aligned with labour‑market needs.
👉 Consolidate Centres of Vocational Excellence. Strengthen the governance, networking and sectoral role of newly established Centres of Excellence, ensuring strong employer partnerships, regional balance and links to innovation ecosystems.
👉 Improve work‑based learning quality and monitoring. Enhance frameworks for apprenticeships and other work‑based learning pathways by strengthening monitoring, quality assurance and graduate‑tracking mechanisms in line with EU standards.
👉 Advance digital transformation in education and VET. Expand digital platforms, teacher and trainer digital competences, and blended learning solutions while addressing infrastructure gaps that limit access, particularly in rural and southern regions.
👉 Develop skills for the green transition . Integrate green skills more systematically into VET and continuing training, supporting emerging sectors such as renewable energy, environmental services, sustainable tourism and waste management.
👉 Strengthen labour‑market intelligence and data use. Improve coordination between education, training and employment institutions to produce reliable data on skills demand, graduate outcomes and employment transitions, supporting evidence‑based policymaking.
👉 Promote inclusion, with a focus on youth and women. Increase the effectiveness of active labour‑market programmes for young people and women, addressing persistent gender gaps in VET participation, employment and career progression.