Madagascar has an established but fragmented continuing education system. The Ministère de l’Enseignement Technique et de la Formation Professionnelle (METFP) sets national policy, standards and certification rules, coordinates 23 regional directorates known as DRETFP, and oversees technical schools and vocational training centres. The Institut National de Promotion de la Formation Professionnelle (INPFP) is part of this public structure. The main formal concept, formation professionnelle continue (FPC), covers organized activities that supplement initial vocational education. Related options include formation professionnelle qualifiante (FPQ), equity-focused training, Formation Agricole et Rurale (FAR), functional literacy and informal professional apprenticeship. Formal employers, except national and local public establishments, must pay a contribution equal to 1% of the gross payroll used for social contributions. The employer pays it quarterly through CNaPS, can deduct it for tax purposes, and may face sanctions for non-payment. This contribution is not an individual course fee. The Fonds Malgache de Formation Professionnelle (FMFP) finances training rather than running courses itself. A contributing company generally has a droit de tirage, or training funding entitlement, equal to 70% of its paid contributions. FMFP support is non-repayable and carries no interest or service charge, but the company must submit proof of how the funds were used. Access to FPC funding normally starts with the employer or company, not with an individual employee. A single company can submit a requête individuelle d’entreprise (RIE) throughout the year. A joint request between at least two companies in the same sector is called a PIS, while a request between at least two companies from different sectors is a PII. A professional group may need at least three companies. Applications generally include a training plan, documented needs, terms of reference, a budget and a funding request. FMFP assesses quality, relevance, the available company funding entitlement and the budget. Distance learning can qualify for support. Individual fees, grants and free places depend on the provider or project, and Madagascar has no single national fee schedule established for all continuing education. FPQ provides shorter qualifying training for people outside the school system, people with disabilities, employees and people returning to work. It can support employability, entry or re-entry into work, skills improvement, adaptation to new technology or working conditions, career change and preparation for employment. The legal duration is at least three months and at most nine months. Training may take place in a METFP institution or within a company. Participation can give access to regulated certification, but admission requirements and the exact certificate depend on the relevant standard and regulation. METFP programs may lead to qualifications such as CFA, CAP, CAPS, BEP, BT, Bac Pro and BTS, as well as occupational certificates. The Cadre National des Certifications (CNC), Madagascar’s national qualifications framework, supports transparency, quality, portability and recognition of competences; the current certificate, provider and standard still need to be checked when recognition matters. Validation des Acquis de l’Expérience (VAE) can turn relevant work experience into all or part of a diploma, professional title or certificate. The described process includes an eligibility file, a portfolio of evidence, guidance and a jury, and may take about six to twelve months. Current METFP information is inconsistent: one page refers to at least three years of professional experience, while another refers to a minimum age of 23 and at least five years of relevant experience. The applicable threshold and procedure should therefore be confirmed with the VAE service or the relevant DRETFP before an application is submitted. A planned 2026–2027 policy program treats a VAE decree as a later development, so an online description should not automatically be treated as a complete and settled legal framework. Informal professional apprenticeship remains especially relevant for people with little schooling and for adults or young people working with artisans. A learner may acquire skills through daily work with a master craftsperson in activities such as masonry, welding or butchery. This form of learning usually lacks standardized supervision, quality assurance and automatic national certification. FMFP and partner projects supported by AFD aim to improve the role of the maître d’apprentissage, strengthen market-relevant skills and create links toward formal recognition. VAE and equity programs may provide bridges, but informal experience is not automatically equivalent to a national qualification. Agricultural and rural training follows the national SNFAR 2023–2035 strategy. Madagascar has about 200 agricultural and vocational training centres, of which about 40 award initial diplomas; most of the remaining offer consists of short or qualifying courses. Most centres are private, including many linked to confessional networks such as BIMTT and FARMADA, and regional coverage is uneven. Formats include tailored courses, tutoring or apprenticeship and short training. Producers, rural workers, young people and organizations use these offers to improve skills, modernize production, raise income and support employment and sustainable agriculture. The Ministère de l’Agriculture leads the sector, with interministerial and regional coordination through CNFAR and CRFAR. Capacity, quality assurance, governance, financing and private-sector participation remain uneven. Functional literacy is mainly a non-formal service for adolescents and adults who need basic reading, writing or numeracy for daily and economic life. The Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale (MEN) leads this area. The national literacy strategy expands literacy courses, diversifies offers for people who left school and envisages a Centre d’Alphabétisation et de Ressources (CAR) in each region. Local associations may provide courses. Functional literacy is not itself a vocational certificate; it connects to FPQ or FPC only when a documented training link exists. Self-directed learning, workplace practice and free online courses can improve skills without creating a formal qualification. Digital and distance formats may be financed through an eligible FMFP project, but individual online participation has no automatic recognition. Learners who need proof for employment, promotion or career change should verify whether the provider offers an approved examination, certificate or VAE process. Employees usually reach funded FPC through their employer or a project, while providers must meet quality and accreditation requirements and issue certificates accurately. There is no general evidence that the state pays all training costs or guarantees a job or higher income after participation.
Upskilling in Madagascar
Upskilling in Madagascar includes organized or self-directed learning that updates, deepens or broadens skills after or alongside initial education or work. Its formal core is formation professionnelle continue (FPC), or continuing vocational training, but access is spread across qualifying courses, agricultural and rural training, functional literacy, workplace learning and informal apprenticeship. Public financing and certification exist through different institutions, while fees, admission rules and regional availability vary. Attendance alone does not create national recognition; a formal certificate, examination or validation process is required.
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