Continuing Vocational Education in Burundi

Burundi has no single national system of continuing education with a shared directory, fixed fees, or a general individual entitlement. Common terms include continuing education (formation continue), professional development (perfectionnement), continuing professional development (développement professionnel continu), skills upgrading (mise à niveau), apprenticeship (apprentissage), alternating training (formation en alternance), and recognition or validation of prior learning (reconnaissance ou validation des acquis). These opportunities are particularly relevant to livelihoods and the labor market because informal employment accounts for a very large share of work and subsistence agriculture plays an important role. One basic pathway is the state literacy program, which has reached adults and young people aged 15 and over since 1989. It teaches reading, writing, numeracy, and everyday skills and can lead through post-literacy education to further vocational training. Practical skills are available through vocational skills centers (Centres d’Enseignement des Métiers), abbreviated CEM, vocational training centers (Centres de Formation Professionnelle), abbreviated CFP, apprenticeship, alternating training, and workplace learning. Admission to a CEM generally requires completion of the ninth school year; CFPs generally use a national selection, certification, and orientation competition, with additional selection possible when places are limited. Duration, qualifications, and admission requirements vary by program. The PACEJ program combines dual training in CEMs and companies with labor-market-oriented skills and entrepreneurship for people aged 15 to 25, particularly young people who are outside school and employment. The government and World Bank project approved in 2021 has a budget of 80 million US dollars. In 2024, 458 artisans and people from agriculture and livestock farming were recorded; 200 took part in the first group, including people from agriculture, livestock farming, tailoring, carpentry, and welding. The target of around 80,000 recognized certifications of informal skills by 2026 is a project target, not a measured current figure. PAEEJ supports municipal skills training programs (formations aux métiers), with calls, selection, and funding depending on the relevant announcement. Institutions and professional groups also have their own programs. The education sector prioritizes continuing education and the professional development of teachers. IFADEM reached 2,360 teachers and 340 managers in Burundi, worked with seven pedagogical booklets and seven digital learning spaces, and ran for nine months. The National School of Administration (École Nationale d’Administration) offers public servants professional development, coaching, and advisory services; one example from 2024 lasted three days. In healthcare, the Health CPD Center provides further training for doctors, nurses, and other health professionals. A nationwide requirement for continuing education points has not been established. The National Qualifications and Certification Framework (Cadre National de Qualification et de Certification), abbreviated CNQC, established by Decree 100/018 of February 23, 2022, is intended to make formal, non-formal, and informal skills comparable and capable of validation. This also includes workplace learning and professional experience. Practical implementation is still at an early and inconsistent stage; a course certificate therefore does not automatically have the same value as a state-issued or officially recognized qualification. Before enrolling, check whether the provider is authorized, what assessment takes place, and whether it is linked to the CNQC or another competent recognition body. Responsibilities vary by area and are distributed among the education ministry and sector-specific successor institutions, the literacy department, the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Employment, ENA, UGP-PACEJ, PAEEJ, and private, religious, and nonprofit providers. Courses may take place on site, in communities, or at the workplace. Digital micro-credentials are possible, but limited access to the internet, devices, and electricity means they do not reach all regions equally well; according to the country assessment used, electricity access was about 11.7 percent overall and 3.5 percent in rural areas. The state provides the main financing for literacy and works with UNESCO, religious communities, and NGOs. PACEJ and PAEEJ provide support on a project or call-for-applications basis. Private courses have no uniform nationwide price; fees, scholarships, transport, learning materials, insurance, and safety rules depend on the provider or announcement. As of September 6, 2026, there is no reliable evidence of paid educational leave, general cost reimbursement, or a nationwide entitlement to further training. Duration and schedules range from individual days and nine months to longer CEM or CFP programs.