On Monday, October 5, 2026, Mauritania's Minister of Vocational Training and Traditional Industry, Mohamed Ould Ayeh, conducted a field visit to several vocational training institutions in Nouakchott. The visit aimed to assess the readiness of these institutions to start the new academic year, 2026-2027, and to inspect the conditions for the reception of trainees.
The minister's visit included the Industrial Technical and Vocational Training School in Nouakchott, the National Higher Institute of Technical Education, and the Technical and Vocational Training School in the construction and public works sector in the Riyadh district. During the visit, the minister also monitored the progress of the entrance exams for vocational training schools and technical education for the new academic year.
According to the minister, the launch of the new academic year coincides with the final stage of entrance exams for vocational training institutions, specifically the Certificate of Professional Competence (CAP), as well as the competition for entry into the first year of secondary technical education in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering specialties.
The minister stated that approximately 5,000 students are participating in these competitions, competing for 2,600 training seats. He also mentioned that the current academic year will witness an expansion in the capacity of vocational training institutions, with the number of seats increasing from around 23,000 last year to approximately 25,000 this year.
For the first time, the new academic year will start with the National Agency for Vocational Training, which is expected to play a role in enhancing the performance of sector institutions and accelerating the implementation of the National Vocational Training Strategy. The agency will also improve the alignment of training programs with labor market needs.
The minister reviewed the sector's efforts to improve training quality, highlighting the program that enabled several training institutions to obtain the international quality certificate ISO 21001 last year. He expressed hope that more institutions will join this path during the current academic year.
The minister confirmed that the sector will continue to work towards achieving the goal of training 115,000 young people in various fields of vocational training by 2029, as part of the President's second term.
Key points
- The minister inspected several vocational training institutions in Nouakchott to assess their readiness for the new academic year.
- The new academic year will witness an expansion in the capacity of vocational training institutions, with 25,000 available seats.
- The National Agency for Vocational Training will play a key role in enhancing the performance of sector institutions and aligning training programs with labor market needs.
