Tunisia
Since 1998 we have been supporting Tunisia to develop vocational training to boost employability, increase access to opportunity and promote social cohesion complementing the work of the European Commission and the EU’s External Action Service, including support to the Delegation of the European Union to Tunisia.
The European Training Foundation (ETF) is providing essential assistance across this agenda, in particular to promote entrepreneurial learning across the vocational education and training (VET) system and the development of key entrepreneurship competences. The ETF supports the Ministry of Vocational Training and Employment on the regionalisation of the VET governance as part of the VET reform strategy, further supported during the fifth round of the Torino Process assessment report implemented also at regional level.
The ETF supports the Delegation with technical input on regionalisation, qualifications and smart specialisation within the IRADA programme, providing input to policy monitoring mechanisms through annual country updates, and follow-up of the Mobility Partnership. Tunisia is an active member of the ETF Forum for Quality Assurance.
Read our 2024 update on Key policy developments in education, training and employment (ETF, 2024). For a quick overview, see below:
2025 developments at a glance
Political and economic context
Tunisia continues to navigate economic stagnation and institutional consolidation following the 2022 constitutional changes and the presidential election of October 2024. GDP growth remained flat, inflation high, and public finances under pressure. Policy attention increasingly focuses on employment stability, social protection and labour‑market reform, as reflected in the National Employment Strategy (2025) and the revised Labour Code.
Education and system reform
Tunisia launched the Education Sector Strategic Plan 2025–2035, which sets long‑term priorities on access, quality, digitalisation and governance across general education, VET and higher education. Despite relatively high public spending on education, outcomes remain uneven, with high early school leaving and weak labour‑market returns for many graduates. Digital transformation initiatives, including Tunis Future School, aim to modernise learning environments and support teachers and students.
Vocational education and training (VET)
Access to VET remains limited, especially for young women, and quality challenges persist, linked to outdated curricula and insufficient transversal and entrepreneurial skills. Nevertheless, reforms are progressing through competency‑based approaches, expansion of centres of excellence and stronger private‑sector engagement. Several specialised hubs now focus on Industry 4.0, entrepreneurship and green skills, supported by EU and international partners. Adult participation in lifelong learning remains very low, highlighting the need to strengthen continuing VET and recognition of prior learning.
Work‑based learning (WBL)
Tunisia’s WBL system includes dual training, apprenticeships and traineeships, with dual learning accounting for the majority of placements. While WBL is recognised as essential for labour‑market relevance, opportunities remain limited and uneven across sectors and regions. Strengthening employer engagement, tutor training and governance remains a priority.
Labour‑market developments
Employment rates have stagnated, while unemployment rose to 16% in 2024 and youth unemployment exceeded 40%. Women remain disproportionately affected by inactivity and unemployment. The Labour Code reform (2025) introduced permanent contracts as the default, limited probation periods and criminalised abusive subcontracting, while the Finance Act 2025 established unemployment insurance for the first time. Active labour market programmes continue to support training, wage subsidies, entrepreneurship and public employment services.
Youth focus
The NEET rate remains high at around 29%. Tunisia participates in EU‑funded initiatives such as Y‑NEET, inspired by the Youth Guarantee, aiming to improve outreach, profiling and pathways to employment, especially for vulnerable youth and young women.
Digital and green skills
Digital skills development is gaining momentum through national strategies and online platforms, though connectivity and access gaps persist. Green skills are increasingly integrated into VET and training programmes, particularly in renewable energy, agriculture, waste management and sustainable tourism.
Priorities for 2026
👉 Advance implementation of the national qualifications system, including operationalising the qualifications register, recognition of prior learning and alignment with the African Continental Qualifications Framework and European frameworks.
👉 Strengthen quality assurance in VET, moving from compliance‑based approaches towards outcomes‑oriented quality systems covering curricula, delivery and graduate outcomes.
👉 Consolidate and scale Centres of Vocational Excellence, reinforcing their role in innovation, employer engagement, digitalisation and green skills development.