News Services

Congo Launches Youth Training Program Amid Soaring Unemployment

Congo Launches Youth Training Program Amid Soaring Unemployment
Wednesday, 21 May 2025 12:27
  • 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.

On the same topic
TAAG signs Boeing deal for fleet and tech upgrades. Includes training, digital tools, and local maintenance. Aims to boost Angola's aviation...
• Algeria to launch 40 new digital specialties in vocational training from next academic year• Plan aligns with national goal to train 500,000 ICT...
Burkina Faso to expand vocational education to support industrial growth Plan targets skilled labor shortages and youth unemployment Strategy...
Government seeks to revise unemployment metrics to reflect informal labor Official jobless rate at 32.9% may drop to 10% if informal work is...
Most Read
01

• Maritime sector faces renewed risks amid military tensions in the Middle East• Blockade fears at S...

Israel-Iran conflict raises new threats for global shipping and oil trade
02

Egypt signs deals to import up to 290 LNG cargoes over 30 months, starting in July Trafigura,...

Egypt secures 290 LNG shipments ahead of peak summer electricity demand
03

(AfDB)-Egypt's first integrated solar and battery storage plant will deliver dispatchable clean ener...

AfDB, EBRD and BII support pioneering solar and battery storage project in Egypt with $476 million loan
04

Lion Group to explore and exploit gold, copper, and manganese in Algeria Malaysian firm plans...

Algeria, Lion Group sign mining and metals investment deal
05

This launch is a significant milestone that highlights Rwanda's ongoing digital transformation. With...

MTN Rwanda Launches 5G Network in Kigali, Paving Way for Nationwide Expansion
Enter your email to receive our newsletter

Ecofin Agency provides daily coverage of nine key African economic sectors: public management, finance, telecoms, agribusiness, mining, energy, transport, communication, and education.
It also designs and manages specialized media, both online and print, for African institutions and publishers.

SALES & ADVERTISING

Benjamin FLAUX
bf@agenceecofin.com 
Téls: +41 22 301 96 11 
Mob: +41 78 699 13 72
Média kit : Download

EDITORIAL
redaction@agenceecofin.com

More information
Team
Publisher

ECOFIN AGENCY

Mediamania Sarl
Rue du Léman, 6
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

 

Ecofin Agency is a sector-focused economic news agency, founded in December 2010. Its web platform was launched in June 2011. ©Mediamania.

 
 

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.