• Congo to train 1,029 youths, including 500 girls, in key employment sectors

• Youth unemployment stands at 42%, per World Bank 2021 data

• Program builds on previous donor-backed initiatives to improve employability

Amid persistently high youth unemployment, the Congolese government has launched a vocational training program in Brazzaville targeting 1,029 young people, including 500 girls. The initiative, led by the National Agency for Employment (ANE), focuses on construction, agriculture, industry, and service-related trades and aims to provide skills to out-of-school or unemployed youth aged 18 to 35 in urban and suburban zones.

Speaking at the program’s launch on May 19, Minister of Social Affairs Irène Marie-Cécile Mboukou-Kimbatsa emphasized the government’s preparation efforts and confirmed that activities in the apprenticeship track are ready to begin in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. The self-entrepreneurship track is expected to follow shortly. The minister also acknowledged support from the World Bank, which continues to play a critical role in youth employment efforts in Congo.

According to 2021 World Bank data, the youth unemployment rate in Congo-Brazzaville stands at 42%, underlining the depth of the country’s employment crisis. With job creation failing to keep pace with demographic trends, vocational training programs are seen as vital tools to improve employability and reduce economic vulnerability.

This new effort builds on past government initiatives, including the Skills for Employability Project (PDCE), launched in 2014 to train over 11,000 youths in growth sectors. In 2024, Congo secured €10.3 million from the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union to support labor-market alignment for 5,000 young people. That same year, the Stagi project was introduced to provide internships to 10,000 unemployed graduates.

However, experts caution that training alone will not address the structural employment challenges facing the country. Without integration into a broader national employment strategy that includes job creation, follow-up support, and formal placement pathways, such programs risk offering temporary relief without long-term impact.