• Program aims to reintegrate 200,000 excluded youth over five years
• Mobile school model targets rural and underserved populations
• Initiative addresses high NEET rates and informal employment

Senegal launched a plan to improve educational and economic inclusion through a new public-private partnership aimed at reintegrating vulnerable youth.

A tripartite agreement was signed on April 10 in Diamniadio between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training, and the NGO Génération Saalih, which focuses on education, skills training, and entrepreneurship for vulnerable youth and students from daaras, or Quranic schools.

The partnership launches the ESIM-XIDMA project, a mobile, socio-inclusive school designed to reintegrate 200,000 young people aged 10 to 25 over the next five years, according to the Ministry of Education.

The program targets vulnerable groups, including students from daaras, out-of-school girls, youth with disabilities, and those not in employment, education, or training (NEET). Authorities say the initiative aims to address persistent inequalities in access to education and skills development.

The project relies on a mobile and inclusive model to reach populations often excluded from traditional systems. It focuses on rural and peri-urban areas, as well as daaras, with the goal of ensuring no child remains outside the education system.

Participants will receive tailored support combining basic education, vocational training, and job placement services. The approach emphasizes coordination between education and employment policies.

Officials describe the initiative as a key tool to reintegrate and support excluded youth. The partnership with Génération Saalih is expected to strengthen implementation through combined expertise.

The program forms part of a broader national strategy aligned with Senegal’s Vision 2050 development agenda. Authorities stress the need to link education and training more closely to support long-term economic growth.

The scale of the challenge remains significant. According to the 2024 national census report, 46.8% of people aged 15 to 24 are classified as NEET, including 55.2% of women and 38% of men.

The data also highlight structural imbalances in the labor market. Workers trained in the informal sector show an employment rate of 66%, compared with 50.2% for those with formal training.

Informal employment dominates the economy, accounting for more than 90% of jobs, according to the national statistics agency. Nearly half of the workforce operates in this sector, compared with 33% in the public sector and 17.1% in the formal private sector.

Overall labor force participation stands at 61.2%, while the broad unemployment rate reached 23.3% in the fourth quarter of 2025. The rate is higher in rural areas (29.2%) than in urban areas (19.6%).

Young people are particularly affected, with a jobless rate of 27.4%, compared with 18.7% among adults. Women remain the most impacted across both rural and urban areas.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou