Apprenticeship in Chad

Chad has no single unified apprenticeship system. Regulated apprenticeship exists alongside formal vocational institutions, non-formal community and NGO programmes, and informal learning in workshops or family businesses. The Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Vocational Training (MESRSFP) leads the sector with public and private providers, employers, FONAP, ONAPE/OBSEFE, CONEFE, education authorities and NGOs. In regulated apprenticeship, the apprentice learns through repeated work operations and receives complementary theory, technical or technological instruction. A CFA can combine practical and theoretical teaching, while an employer or workshop provides the workplace component. A CFC can provide additional general, theoretical and technical instruction; the complementary component is generally 30% to 40%. The exact tasks, duration and learning content depend on the occupation, age and contract. The legal minimum duration is one day, but real programmes usually last longer and vary by trade. A written apprenticeship contract records the occupation, training content and duration. It may also state remuneration, food and housing. The apprentice, parent or guardian where applicable, and the CFA or employer sign the contract, which must be registered with the labour inspectorate. An employer contract may include remuneration, but a CFA contract does not create a formal wage guarantee. Apprentices follow internal rules, carry out assigned training tasks, respect legal working hours and take care of equipment. A master or tutor should be an adult with a recognised qualification and at least three years of experience. Child-protection rules limit accommodation arrangements for minors. Access is broad for the regulated apprenticeship framework: no minimum school certificate is set nationally and there is no maximum age. Foreign applicants need residence and work authorization. Provider-based programmes can impose their own selection, capacity or schooling conditions. In 2026, the national concours for CFTP programmes covered 11,307 candidates, 38 centres and 8 Académies. The current reform uses CSP, CAP and BEP qualification tracks, with DFFTP replaced by CSP. These formal admission conditions should not be confused with the broader legal access rules for apprenticeship contracts. Training can lead to a CQP, CAP or CQA when the competent ministry establishment provides the assessment and award. Current formal reforms also refer to CSP, CAP and BEP qualifications. Informal and non-formal learning does not receive uniform national recognition, and no universal validation-of-prior-learning mechanism is evidenced. Completion can support employment, self-employment or income-generating activity, but it does not automatically provide a job or admission to tertiary study. Non-formal programmes are significant where formal providers are unavailable or access is difficult. UNICEF and partner projects have combined basic education with practical training for non-enrolled or vulnerable young people. Centres around Bol, Bagasola, Liwa and Ngouri have offered gardening, couture, mechanics and carpentry. One Bol couture cycle lasted 90 days and enrolled 38 women aged 19 to 30; a Moissala project offered six-month sewing and carpentry training for refugee and host-community youth. Selection may be handled by a municipality, community body or vulnerability committee, and projects may provide starter kits or transport support. Costs vary by provider and arrangement. Learners may pay fees or bear the cost of tools, transport and time away from other work. Donor and NGO programmes may cover training materials, starter kits or transport, but support is project-specific. FONAP finances apprenticeship, provider authorisation, insertion and income-generating projects. A 1.2% gross-payroll levy known as TAFP supports vocational and apprenticeship activities through this system. The national strategy for 2025–2035 was validated in July 2025 and prioritises curricula, quality, alternance and apprenticeship, digital skills, private-sector links and transition into work. As of September 2026, seven regulatory drafts mentioned in the reform review were still awaiting approval, so certification, provider quality and regional availability remain uneven. Practical fields include couture, carpentry, electricity, mechanics, gardening, agriculture, livestock and services, with digital skills becoming a stronger reform priority.