• The UN launches a project to align vocational training in DR Congo to growing economic sectors.
• DR Congo must create nearly 100,000 new jobs per month to meet youth employment needs by 2030.
• The project emphasizes the green economy and digital technologies to boost local employment.

The UN has launched an initiative to tackle persistent youth unemployment and the informal job market in DR Congo. It aims to identify key economic sectors and tailor vocational training to meet actual needs.

In late July 2025, the Capacity Building Program for Education (CapED) held a workshop in Kalemie, eastern DR Congo. About fifty participants attended, including provincial ministries, training centers, private sector representatives, and technical and financial partners.

On August 7, UNESCO published a statement confirming that the meeting’s purpose was to validate a study on promising economic sectors. Saip Sy, head of education at UNESCO in DR Congo, said they aim to align training programs with local economic needs, focusing on the green economy and information and communication technologies (ICT).

By concentrating on future growth sectors, the initiative aims to deliver relevant training that matches local realities. The long-term goal is to reduce job insecurity and stimulate the local economy by creating jobs related to ecological transition and digital technology.

A 2022 national youth employment report, cited by multiple sources, warns that DR Congo must create about 9.6 million jobs by 2030—roughly 100,000 new jobs per month—to stop unemployment from rising.

Marc Ekila, DR Congo’s Minister of Vocational Training, stated in 2024 that the country has 219 active vocational sectors. These sectors include agriculture, aeronautics, construction, logistics, environment, mining, and tourism. He emphasized that the project aims to steer training toward sectors that generate stable and skilled jobs.

The success of this project depends on the ability of provincial authorities and partners to convert these strategic directions into concrete programs.

Similar efforts have unfolded regionally. In December 2024, a forum of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) in Kinshasa laid the groundwork for a regional strategy in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), supported by UNESCO.

To turn these ambitions into reality, stakeholders must invest in infrastructure, train educators, establish national certification frameworks, and closely monitor impacts.

This article was initially published in French by Félicien Lokossou

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum