Madar (Nouakchott) - Nouakchott on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 hosted a high-level meeting aimed at establishing a strategic partnership between the Ministry of Vocational Training, Handicrafts and Trades and the UNESCO Regional Centre for Quality and Excellence in Education, to develop Mauritania's vocational training system, improve its quality and align its output with labour-market needs, the Mauritanian News Agency (AMI) reported.
The meeting was opened by Vocational Training, Handicrafts and Trades Minister Ould Eyih, in the presence of the Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the head of the Mauritanian employers' union.
The minister said the vocational training system, despite its achievements, still faces challenges in updating the national strategy, better matching training to the economy's needs, expanding partnership with the private sector, developing quality and evaluation systems, and strengthening governance and human and institutional capacity.
He said cooperation with the centre would allow a comprehensive diagnosis of the system based on the "Arab model for technical and vocational education and training", an update of the national strategy and an implementation plan setting priorities and delivery mechanisms. He expressed hope that the meeting would produce an action plan and a memorandum of understanding between the ministry and the centre.
The centre's director said the Arab model for quality and excellence provides a reference framework for improving the quality of technical and vocational education that can be adapted to the Mauritanian context. He said he hoped for a joint action plan and a phased roadmap setting out roles and responsibilities, with a joint team and indicators to measure progress.
