Apprenticeship in Madagascar

Madagascar's vocational education system is called Enseignement Technique et Formation Professionnelle (ETFP). It includes initial vocational education, qualifying vocational training and apprenticeship in basic trades. The legal framework under Law 2022-018 covers training, qualification and entry into work for young people and adults, including women and people with disabilities. Programmes are expected to involve occupational professionals when their curricula are developed. Apprenticeship remains strongly informal and institutionally fragmented. Research indicates that about 99% of working young people are employed informally, so skills are often learned without a structured programme, written contract or recognised certificate. Traditional learning can still provide useful occupational ability, but the absence of documented training makes later proof of competence, safer working conditions and access to formal employment more difficult. The main informal or non-formal pathway is apprentissage traditionnel rénové, also described as apprenticeship in basic trades. It is intended for people outside the school system and normally concerns productive and entry-level occupations. The general pathway uses a minimum age of 15 and an autonomous skills level, with duration determined by the relevant occupational standard and an attestation issued after completion. The Artisanat Code contains a separate age rule: an apprentice may be at least 14, while the master craftsman must be at least 21. The applicable pathway and local admission practice therefore need to be checked before enrolment. A structured apprenticeship may take place at a workplace, at an accredited training centre or in both settings. Alternance, or dual training, combines company practice with institutional instruction. Under the 2024 Labour Code framework, the written contract can cover employment, training, qualification, adaptation or an introductory placement. It records remuneration or an indemnity and may also address food and accommodation. A parent or guardian signs for a minor, and the labour inspector must provide the required visa. The employer is responsible for practical training, while an accredited centre may provide complementary instruction and assessment. In craft occupations, the apprentice should attend local professional courses where they exist. If no course is available, the master must provide the theoretical part of the training. A chamber of professions and crafts can inspect hygiene, safety and sanitation. The completion examination may combine theory with practical hand skills. A written contract and compliance with protection standards provide stronger evidence of the training relationship than informal learning without documentation. Formal ETFP pathways use different entry levels and durations. A CFA pathway generally accepts learners from 7ème after an entrance competition, lasts two years and can lead to a Certificat de Fin d'Apprentissage in construction or craft occupations. CAP commonly requires 5ème, the CEPE and an entrance competition, lasts three years and leads toward the BEPC level. BAE commonly begins after 7ème with the CEPE and an entrance competition, lasts four years and also reaches the BEPC level. BEP generally requires 3ème and an entrance competition and lasts three years. BT normally requires the BEPC and an entrance competition and lasts three years. Bacc Techno and Bacc Pro pathways generally take three years after the relevant lower-secondary level and lead to a technical or professional baccalaureate. BTS normally requires the Baccalauréat and takes two further years. Local admission rules, available places and the actual programme at a centre must be confirmed directly. Formation professionnelle qualifiante, or FPQ, provides shorter occupational training for people inside or outside the school system, including people with disabilities. The legal framework describes courses of roughly three to nine months, with learning at a centre or workplace and regulatory certification. An older decree referred to a maximum of one year, and the METFP programme for 2026-2027 announces updates to that framework, prior-learning recognition, digital training and certification. The duration and certificate should therefore be verified against the current occupational standard and provider offer. Training is available through CFP, ECP, LT, LTP and CRFP centres, accredited private or religious providers, sectoral centres, NGOs and associations, and centres linked to agriculture, maritime work or other ministries. The Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training, known as METFP, works through bodies including DGET, DGFP, the Directorate of Apprenticeship and Qualifying Training, DEPVAE, DRETFP, INPF and CNFPPSH. Chambers of professions and crafts, the labour inspectorate, sector ministries and accredited providers also have specific responsibilities. Public mapping shows wide occupational coverage in construction and civil engineering, agriculture and livestock, industrial and mechanical work, electronics and energy, textile and clothing, accounting and commerce, tourism and hospitality, navigation, horticulture, information and communication technology, and disability-focused provision. A centre may not offer every level or occupation. Regional access is uneven, and official information differs on whether the network has 23 or 24 regional directorates, so the local centre and current intake should be checked directly. Formal curricula use occupational standards, workshops, examinations and sometimes company participation. In practice, equipment, connectivity, trainer exposure and employer involvement in curriculum design remain uneven. Completing a course or passing an examination does not automatically provide a job. Providers and employment services may support internships, employer links, employment or self-employment, but placement depends on the occupation, region, employer demand and the person's preparation. Assessment depends on the pathway. CFA, CAP, BEP, Bacc Pro, Bacc Techno and BTS pathways use national examinations or the required national assessment process. BTS normally includes a work-placement report. Accredited public and private providers may issue certificates, diplomas or titles with national validity where the programme has the required approval. An apprenticeship visit or assessment may instead produce an attestation of acquired skill or level. A recognised certificate provides stronger evidence than an informal statement from a workshop. Validation of acquired experience, known as VAE, is a separate certification pathway for people who already work and can prove occupational experience. It has the same legal effect as the corresponding initial qualification when the required process is completed. METFP is responsible for issuing official diplomas or titles. The pathway was introduced in 2018 and initially covered construction and strategic resources, tourism and hospitality, textile, rural development and ICT. Reported access has been limited: one World Bank assessment described a demanding process involving a minimum age of 23, a national identity card and at least five years of experience, lasting about six months, with 93 people certified in four regions at that time. Current eligibility, fees and appointment dates must be confirmed with DGFP or DEPVAE. Apprentices have duties to follow lawful instructions, perform agreed work and participate in evaluation. Employers must provide methodical practical training and respect contractual payment, accommodation and protection rules. Child protection, occupational safety, labour inspection and the prohibition of forced labour apply. Anti-discrimination principles cover gender and disability. A provider's certificate is more reliable when the provider has the required accreditation or approval; private course advertising alone does not establish national recognition. There is no single current national fee schedule established by the available research. Public provision may be included in state budgeting under older rules, while some BT or BTS pathways and private courses may charge fees. Private prices vary by provider. The Fonds Malgache de Formation Professionnelle, or FMFP, is financed by a capped one-percent payroll contribution from formal employers. Its reported distribution is 70% for employer drawdown rights, 20% for mutualised funding and 10% for fund operations. FPC supports contributing employers, FPE supports job-seeking young people and adults, and equity measures target micro-enterprises, small enterprises, informal workers and people in precarious employment. Alternance funding generally requires cooperation between an employer and an institution rather than a direct student application. The system faces chronic underfunding, obsolete equipment, weak connectivity, limited industry exposure, fragmented governance, incomplete education data and no established graduate-tracking system. Rural distance and transport costs can restrict access, while informal training without certification limits mobility. The World Bank MYSET project, identified as P510605, sets planned targets including support for at least 500,000 young people aged 15 to 29, 100 TVET centres and stronger employer participation in curriculum design, apprenticeship and recognition of prior learning. These are project targets, not evidence that the results have already been achieved.