Apprenticeship in Sudan

Sudan has formal apprenticeship pathways alongside informal workshop-based learning. Formal apprenticeship takes place with an enterprise or independent craftsperson in an occupation designated by the responsible minister. The apprentice must meet the applicable qualification requirements and enter a written contract. Registration, inspection and employer compliance form part of the formal framework. The Supreme Council for Vocational Training and Apprenticeship (SCVTA) is responsible for vocational training standards, trade tests and certificates. The Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resources Development and SCVTA oversee the apprenticeship system, while state branch councils have technical links to SCVTA and administrative links to the state governor. Access is not organized through one reliable national admission system, so the provider, state and current security situation need to be checked directly. Common fields include metalwork, fitting and welding, electrical work, vehicle mechanics, refrigeration and air conditioning, carpentry, construction, plumbing, garment making, electronics, computer work, agricultural machinery and food processing. The work-based arrangement differs from a vocational training centre, where learning is delivered mainly through a centre and commonly lasts about two years after basic education. Technical secondary education is a school pathway of about three years and leads to the Sudan School Certificate; it is not the same as an apprenticeship. Apprenticeship has no single nationally verified duration. The length usually depends on the occupation, the available work and the master craftsperson's assessment of competence. Learning combines observation, guided practice and increasing responsibility. In one ILO Sudan sample, master craftspersons made up 65.5% of trainers, skilled workers 30.4% and senior apprentices 4.2%, showing how strongly practical knowledge is transmitted through the workplace. Formal apprentices should keep the contract, registration details, occupation, training expectations and payment arrangements. No current national fee table, universal stipend or common admissions calendar has been verified. Informal apprenticeships often have no entry requirements or entry fees, but they can involve low or no pay, costs for tools or materials, working weeks above 48 hours, hazardous conditions and weak protection against disputes. Child-labour risks and gender-based occupational barriers also require attention. A formal completion pathway can include an SCVTA statutory trade test and a national vocational training certificate. A competency-based National Technical and Vocational Qualifications Framework was developed in 2022, while wider adoption, a public qualification database and recognition of prior learning were still planned or not confirmed as operational in the available research. Informal completion commonly depends on the master craftsperson's judgment and may produce only a local certificate that is not automatically nationally recognized. After training, an apprentice may seek employment, start self-employment or develop an enterprise, but apprenticeship does not guarantee a job or a place in tertiary study. The practical value of the qualification depends on the occupation, provider, state and ability to verify the certificate. War-related disruption, damaged training facilities and differences in state capacity can interrupt training and assessment. Current reforms for 2025–2027 include rehabilitation of TVET centres, shorter competency courses, quality assurance, equipment, updated curricula and stronger links with companies and incubators; the Federal Ministry of Education has declared 2026 the Year of TVET.