• The government will tie university evaluations to graduate job placement and track alumni outcomes nationwide.
• Internships will become mandatory in professional bachelor’s and master’s programs.
• Reforms come as youth unemployment reaches 7.3% and most jobs remain informal.

Guinea’s government announced a set of higher education reforms on March 2 aimed at improving graduate employability and narrowing the gap between universities and the labor market.

Under the new policy, job placement will become a central performance metric for universities. A national graduate tracking system will be introduced to monitor employment outcomes. Internships will gradually become mandatory for professional bachelor’s and master’s degrees, under a regulated framework.

The Education Ministry said universities will also be required to build structured partnerships with companies. The goal is to expand work-study programs, increase the involvement of industry professionals in teaching, and align curricula more closely with labor market needs. Any new academic program will now require an employment impact study before approval.

The reforms come against a backdrop of structural imbalances in Guinea’s labor market. As of January 1, 2025, the Guinean Agency for Employment Promotion and Entrepreneurship (AGUIPEE) counted 53,478 job seekers, according to the National Labor Observatory.

Nearly 80% of jobs are in the informal sector, leaving most workers without formal contracts, social protection or career mobility. While the official unemployment rate remains relatively moderate, estimated between 4.8% and 5.2%, youth unemployment is higher. Among those ages 15 to 24, it stands at 7.3%.

As part of the broader reform effort, Conakry has also stepped up international cooperation. In February, Guinea signed a partnership with Morocco to expand access for Guinean students to programs ranging from bachelor’s degrees to doctorates, as well as technical and vocational training in strategic fields such as engineering, modern agriculture, digital technologies, artificial intelligence and renewable energy.

Guinea remains among the lower-ranked African countries on the Human Development Index. In 2023, it placed 40th out of 52 countries surveyed in Africa, according to the United Nations Development Program.

Charlène N’dimon