• Algeria trained more than 1,200 career, evaluation, and employment counselors to improve graduate job placement.

• Youth unemployment exceeded 29%, while unemployment among higher-education graduates surpassed 31%.

• Authorities targeted skills matching, new professions, and entrepreneurship to address labor-market imbalances.

On January 18, in Algiers, the Algerian government launched a training program for more than 1,200 career guidance, assessment, and professional integration counselors. Authorities designed the program to strengthen counselors’ skills and reinforce their role in supporting trainees, while enabling them to assess competencies more effectively and direct trainees toward the most promising occupations.

The Minister of Vocational Training and Education, Nassima Arhab, chaired the initiative. She highlighted the strategic role of counselors within the vocational training system. She said they represent “an essential link in the vocational training system” because they guide trainees toward suitable pathways, assess their skills, and facilitate their professional integration in line with labor market needs.

According to the official statement, the training covered several areas, including the reinforcement of guidance and evaluation tools, orientation toward emerging professions, and support for entrepreneurship. As a result, counselors can identify trainees’ skills and propose customized pathways that reflect actual labor market demand.

This initiative comes amid persistent tensions in the labor market. The National Statistics Office estimated the unemployment rate at 12.7%, while youth unemployment among those aged 16 to 24 exceeded 29%. Unemployment among higher-education graduates reached more than 31%.

More recent data from the High Commission for Planning showed a slight improvement, with unemployment easing to 13.1% in the third quarter of 2025. However, long-term unemployment and the mismatch between skills and labor market needs continue to constrain sustainable job creation.

This article was initially published in French by Félicien Houindo Lokossou

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum