Upskilling in Yemen

Yemen has no single nationwide system equivalent to continuing education or upskilling. The legal framework includes the right to education without discrimination, Law No. 28 of 1998 on Literacy and Adult Education, the National Strategy for Literacy and Adult Education, and the Education Sector Plan 2024–2030, which includes lifelong learning objectives. Responsibilities are divided between institutions and are affected by the political and administrative division of the country. The Ministry of Education and the Literacy and Adult Education Organisation, known as LAEO, provide literacy, adult education, basic skills and other non-formal education. Non-formal education, often abbreviated as NFE, means organised learning outside the regular school system. Local terms include محو الأمية وتعليم الكبار for literacy and adult education, التعليم والتدريب غير النظامي for NFE, and مراكز الدورات القصيرة for short-course centers. The Ministry of Technical Education and Vocational Training, known as TEVT, provides post-basic and post-secondary technical and vocational pathways. Higher education belongs to a separate ministry and is not itself an upskilling pathway in this topic. Available options include adult literacy and skills programs at Levels 1 to 3, Women’s and Basic Training Centres, community and private-sector partnerships, short practical courses, entrepreneurship training, and digital or green-skills training. Examples of employer-linked training include automotive mechanics and automotive electrical work. Teacher and supervisor training, training-of-trainers programs and school-based professional development also exist, but conflict and project-based funding make the supply irregular. The Education Sector Plan targets updated curricula, gender, livelihood, financial-literacy and leadership content, 143,148 literacy learners, 5,726 teachers with guides, rehabilitation or equipment for 66 centers, 13 new centers, and upgrading 8,243 teachers by 2030. For people who left the school system, basic literacy and numeracy programs and accelerated learning can provide a bridge back into education. Basic Literacy and Numeracy is commonly called BLN, while an Accelerated Learning Programme is called ALP. ALP generally lasts one to two years and may support re-entry at Grade 7, depending on the applicable pathway. Community schools, self-learning, home-based learning and radio or digital options can serve as functional alternatives where regular access is unavailable, but they are primarily catch-up education rather than a unified national training system. Access depends on the governing authority, governorate or district, provider requirements, security, transport, work and care responsibilities, disability access and available infrastructure. In Sanaa-administered areas, Tanseek.net functions as an official electronic coordination portal for some admissions and course access. Short courses may be available throughout the year through licensed governmental, community or private centers, but free or discounted places can be limited. Some registration or coordination payments use mobile money. No general individual entitlement to funded upskilling, universal admission scheme or central fee schedule has been established. Formal technical institutes may issue certificates described as شهادة ومهنة, but the practical value of a certificate depends on the licensing status of the center, the responsible authority, the program and the intended employer. The Council for Accreditation and Quality Assurance, or CAQA, was working in 2026 on professional reference standards and program quality. Yemen has no consistently applied nationwide system for credit transfer, prior-learning recognition or career credits. Attendance, assessment, documents and certificate conditions are set by the provider or applicable authority. The Education Sector Plan estimates the 2021 illiteracy rate at about 46 percent, with approximately 35 percent among men and 65 percent among women. Conflict, poverty, distance, safety concerns, care and work obligations, weak infrastructure and limited digital access create substantial barriers, especially in rural and remote areas. Women, adults, school dropouts, internally displaced people and people with disabilities are among the groups targeted by relevant programs, but gender-specific access is not guaranteed. UNICEF-supported programs reached 116,674 people through formal and non-formal education in 2025, including 12,058 in alternative learning and 2,718 in reintegration; these figures do not represent a national upskilling rate.