Apprenticeship in Guinea

Guinea has no single standardised dual apprenticeship system. Its vocational education system, known as Enseignement Technique et Formation Professionnelle (ETFP), is fragmented across public and private schools, short courses and traditional apprenticeship with an artisan, company or other skilled master. The National Strategy for Quality Apprenticeship was validated in 2025, but full implementation is not yet established by the available evidence. The Ministry of Technical Education, Vocational Training and Employment (METFPE) sets policy, standards, authorisation rules and examinations through eight regional inspections. The National Office for Professional Training and Development (ONFPP) supports and coordinates traditional apprenticeship, including nationwide assistance and oversight. Employers, artisans, trade unions, civil-society organisations and development partners also deliver training or support reform. The National Fund for Professional Qualification (FNQP) provides the statutory financing mechanism. Formal school pathways differ by entry level and institution. A Type A school generally admits applicants with the lower-secondary certificate known as BEPC and offers two to three years of training leading to the Certificate of Vocational Aptitude (CAP). Some Vocational Training Centres (CFP) and Regional Schools of Arts and Trades (ERAM) lead to the technician certificate (BT). A Type B school generally admits applicants with the upper-secondary baccalaureate (BAC) and offers three years leading to the higher technician certificate (BTS). Public and private providers cover agriculture and other primary activities, industry, construction, mining and energy, as well as services, hotels and trade. METFPE identifies 112 occupational fields. The CAFPPPPPS offers a nine-month pathway to the professional qualification certificate (CQP), particularly for people no longer in school. Its occupations include masonry, electrical work, horticulture, tailoring and hairdressing. Admission follows an application file. Training may use Competency-Based Training (APC), which is approximately 70% to 90% practical, or Objective-Based Training (PPO), which is mainly theoretical. The official policy aims to move gradually from PPO towards APC. Entry through Parcours Pro Guinée normally involves choosing a programme and occupational field, registering, paying an enrolment fee, creating an INA or personal account, taking the required concours and completing administrative enrolment after quota-based placement. The latest local official cycle identified for 2025–2026 opened online registration from 20 August to 22 September 2025 and held the concours from 6 to 12 October 2025. Requirements and documents depend on the platform and programme. The platform showed an enrolment fee, but the amount was not published in the reviewed sources. The Labour Code L/2014/072/CNT requires a written apprenticeship contract. The maître may be an industrial or agricultural company, an artisan or a façonnier. The contract should state the duration, remuneration, food, accommodation, health care and vocational courses. The apprentice follows instructions within the limits of their abilities, while the maître provides progressively complete occupational training and an attestation or certificate. A two-month trial period applies, and a final examination before a designated body can lead to the CAP when the apprentice passes. Traditional apprenticeship is less uniform. An ONFPP or national service may arrange assessment, literacy support, additional training and attestation, but duration, quality and fees are not standardised across all providers. An informal attestation may help with employment or self-employment, yet its recognition depends on the provider or the organisation receiving it. A formal examination certificate generally carries stronger legal recognition, but no qualification automatically guarantees a job. The maître owes care, food, accommodation and health protection. Where an apprentice cannot read or write, learning time may be limited to two hours per working day. Minors may not work in dangerous or health-damaging establishments unless special protective rules apply. Serious breaches of duty can justify termination. A first-job practical placement is a separate arrangement: it should be written, copied to the public employment service and labour inspection, and may last up to three months for alternance or up to one year for operational practice, followed by an employer certificate. The State and employers finance vocational training. Employers contribute 1.5% of their payroll to the FNQP, divided into 0.5% for apprenticeship and 1% for further qualification, skills development and retraining. FNQP-funded measures are legally free for unemployed first-job seekers and founders of micro, small or medium-sized enterprises, but actual allocation and coverage must be checked for the specific programme. In provisional 2022–2023 METFPE figures, 188 providers served 61,645 learners across eight regions: 26,356 in public providers and 35,289 in private providers. The figures included 1,503 CQP, 17,279 CAP, 9,041 BEP, 2,197 BT and 31,625 BTS learners, with data-collection problems reported particularly in Conakry.