[{"bbox": [134, 153, 1163, 204], "category": "Text", "text": "complete basic education has not yet been achieved, and young women are more affected than young men (only 52% of men and 32% of women can read and write)."}, {"bbox": [97, 207, 1163, 312], "category": "List-item", "text": "- The shortcomings of the education system have an obvious reflection on the labour market: 72% of the population over 15 years of age is employed. However, the distribution of the employed population by types of employment reveals that 75% of workers work in vulnerable conditions and 52% are classified as self-employed. Only about 23% of workers are in the category of employees."}, {"bbox": [97, 339, 1163, 498], "category": "Text", "text": "This situation is not only the result of the limited resources available, but also of weaknesses in the governance of the education sector, notably in the management and monitoring system and the operational and budgetary planning processes. A common reason for all these weaknesses is the lack of a diachronic and continuously updated database, and the lack of administrative and pedagogical control of the system, associated with low levels of management. The support of the EU will thus enable informed decision-making regarding, for example, the allocation of teachers (or head teachers), their pedagogical needs, their transfers, the closure of double shifts, etc."}, {"bbox": [97, 515, 635, 542], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET):"}, {"bbox": [97, 558, 1163, 822], "category": "Text", "text": "Technical education and vocational training (TVET) is the sub-sector that should open the doors to the labour market and contribute to socio-economic development through the promotion of livelihood opportunities for youth. Short training courses are increasingly being offered without a standard-based system of qualification, assessment and certification. Non-formal training courses and apprenticeship schemes are not regulated or certified by the MEN. A Diagnostic Report of the Technical and Professional Training Centres in Guinea-Bissau (2021)⁸, produced within the EU funded ‘Relance de l’Enseignement et Formation Professionnelle et Technique pour l’Emploi (RESET)’ project, highlights a great diversity of qualification designations issued by different Centres, without clear common criteria and undermining the credibility of qualifications with employers. Out of the twenty-two existing centres, sixteen operate as private training providers, five are public structures (with public funding limited to salaries and – in some cases – facilities) and one is a community training structure."}, {"bbox": [97, 823, 1163, 1247], "category": "Text", "text": "However, the majority of training centres are not located in areas where economic activities exist and training provision does not reflect the employment structure. The Gabu and Bafatá regions, which are respectively the second and third largest cities in the country in terms of population density and economic activities have no vocational training facilities. Furthermore, 63% of the vocational centres are located in Bissau, the rest are spread over the other regions of the country. This disparity in the geographical distribution of training centres is explained by the absence of a central TVET policy. In the capital Bissau, training addresses the traditional areas of civil construction, house electrics, welding, car mechanics and carpentry, and new areas related to small urban trades (refrigeration and air-conditioning, plumbing, catering/bar, hairdressing/aesthetics, sewing, decoration, foreign languages, secretarial skills, project management and accountability, pastry making and basic IT). In the regions, agriculture and livestock (horticulture, poultry, beekeeping, fruit and vegetable processing) dominate the training areas. All over the country there is a lack of training in areas with high demand and prospects for growth and employment, particularly in the fishing and hotel-restaurant and tourism sectors. In addition to that, the majority of secondary cities are lacking all basic urban services (water, sanitation, electricity) and it is estimated that only 4.2% of the urban population is connected to septic tanks or sewers. This critical context analysed and addressed under priority 2.1 of the MIP ‘Green and inclusive cities’ justifies skills development interventions in these areas, as well as in agro-business and fisheries (2.2 of the MIP), to capacitate youth seizing opportunities in key development areas."}, {"bbox": [97, 1274, 1163, 1537], "category": "Text", "text": "In general, the private sector is not involved in matters and activities related to training and qualifications. Moreover, the duration of the courses is extremely variable and there is a total lack of reference standards and transparency with regard to the nomenclature and legal value of the certifications acquired as a result of the courses. The same applies to internships and apprenticeships, which are devoid of any regulatory and institutional framework. In this context, and without the contribution and inputs from employers, training and qualifications are disconnected from the needs of the labour market and the quality expected from vocational training, hampering employability of young people trained. Because of the lack of data collection and monitoring mechanisms in the training structures, it is very difficult to obtain information on learners according to the type of training. However, on the basis of the available data⁹, it was found that males predominate in TVET (63%) compared to 37% for females. Overall, there is significant segregation in the traditionally male versus female streams, which needs to be addressed."}, {"bbox": [86, 1597, 1043, 1622], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁸ ENABEL, Rapport de diagnostic des Centres de Formation Technique et Professionnelle en Guinée-Bissau, 2021."}, {"bbox": [86, 1622, 1043, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁹ ENABEL, Rapport de diagnostic des Centres de Formation Technique et Professionnelle en Guinée-Bissau, 2021."}, {"bbox": [1130, 1656, 1145, 1677], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "6"}]