Formal vocational courses are offered through state vocational training centres, sector-specific institutes and accredited private or NGO centres. The Ministry of Education licenses and supervises vocational training centres, while the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour coordinates employment services, labour-market policy and vocational training governance. The Ministry of Economy and Industry reports five technical institutes with more than 3,500 learners and vocational complexes in Damascus, Homs and Aleppo. Courses commonly last four to nine months and cover fields such as vehicle mechanics, metalwork, electronics, electricity, carpentry, welding, plumbing, textiles, tailoring, construction and heating or cooling systems. The Damascus Industry Complex offers courses lasting up to nine months in information technology, office administration, electricity, HVAC, electronics, construction, woodworking, metals, welding, plumbing, textiles, tailoring and technical drawing. In Homs, documented programmes have accepted learners aged 16 to 30, offered a free annual course lasting about nine months and issued a Ministry of Industry certificate. The Homs example included 120 trainees in 2025 across seven centres. These examples do not establish one nationwide age limit, duration or certificate standard. The Ministry of Public Works and Housing runs vocational training under Law 4/2021. Its documented 2026 cycle ran from 1 June to 1 October, accepted applicants aged 15 to 45, charged no course fee and paid a monthly allowance. Training fields included construction finishing, electrical installations, solar energy, carpentry, metalwork, welding and heating or cooling. The programme described its ministry certificate as recognised and allowed possible annual contracts for graduates for up to two years, but neither the certificate nor the training creates automatic employment. The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority, commonly called SMEDA, supports trainers, centres, courses, certificates, business advice and incubation. Its portal can be used by trainees, trainers, centres, entrepreneurs, consultants and jobseekers. A typical process is to create an account, register and obtain approval where required, select a course, attend and complete it, then receive an electronic certificate whose details can be checked online. Requirements vary by provider and can include age, identity documents, prior schooling, governorate, available trade, registration deadline and remaining seats. Work-based learning, abbreviated WBL, combines learning with practical work in a company or workshop. An ILO-supported Aleppo programme in 2023–2024 involved 105 trainees, 16 local enterprises and five occupations, with apprenticeships, daily wages or wage subsidies; 24 participants were retained. The programme focused on women, people with disabilities, displaced people and young people aged 16 to 18. It was a project model, not evidence of a general statutory entitlement to an apprenticeship or wage. Non-formal programmes reach areas beyond the public vocational-centre network. UNICEF reported in 2024 that 162,297 disadvantaged people aged 10 to 24 were reached across 14 governorates, including 34,680 participants in life-skills and community education, vocational training, entrepreneurship and employability activities. Ninety-six courses covered 30 occupations and were delivered through adolescent-friendly spaces, integrated centres and mobile teams. UNDP programmes provide demand-driven vocational skills, apprenticeships, livelihood support, small-business recovery and returnee reintegration. A Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour youth-empowerment project launched in 2025 in ten governorates, while a labour-market platform links jobseekers and employers with training, qualification and skills services. Adult education is another direct continuing-education pathway. The Ministry of Culture and its Directorate of Cultural Development and Adult Education provide literacy and adult-learning programmes. Ministry reporting in 2026 referred to about four million illiterate people, or about 20% of the population, and more than 400 literacy courses launched since the beginning of that year. The expansion also includes digital literacy, legal literacy, critical thinking and civic or cultural learning, with a reported aim of reducing illiteracy below 10% within three years. In Aleppo, reported illiteracy was about 25%, rising to as much as 50% in some remote areas and camps, so access differs sharply by locality. Public examples are often free, and UNICEF-supported youth courses are typically free within documented programmes. Private, NGO and SMEDA course fees vary, and no nationwide fee schedule applies. Donor funding supports many non-formal programmes, so a course may stop, move or change its eligibility when project funding or local access changes. The strongest currently evidenced public vocational capacity is in Damascus, Homs and Aleppo; expansion towards all governorates is planned for 2026–2028, with preparation in Latakia and planning for Deir ez-Zor, but the expansion is not complete. SMEDA reports a network across all governorates, while humanitarian and non-formal provision is geographically broader but more project-dependent. A provider-issued certificate has the legal or labour-market weight stated by its issuing body. Syria currently has no unified national system for recognition of prior learning, meaning recognition of skills gained through work or informal practice. Informal learning in workshops, family businesses, apprenticeships, self-directed study and digital courses remains highly relevant for livelihoods, but it often lacks portable certification. Attendance, completion and theory or practical assessments can be required, and licensed providers are expected to use approved curricula and quality controls. Access also depends on transport, security, electricity, internet access, displacement, gender norms, funding and the availability of a suitable local trade. Standalone secondary education, university study and language learning belong to separate education routes unless they form part of a broader skills or employment programme.
Upskilling in Syria
Continuing education in Syria covers organised or self-directed learning after or alongside initial schooling or work, including vocational skills, literacy, digital skills and career change. Syria has no single nationwide system: ministries, the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority, UN agencies, NGOs, chambers and private providers offer overlapping formal, non-formal and informal pathways. Access, fees, certificates and course availability depend on the provider, governorate, programme funding and available places.
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