• Madagascar launched the first cohort of the Skills4Job program to equip young people with key digital skills.

• The initiative, aligned with the 2023–2028 Digital Strategic Plan, started with 51 participants in Toamasina.

• The government aims to train 40,000 people by 2028 as part of broader efforts to reduce youth unemployment.

The Malagasy government launched on Thursday, October 2, the first cohort of the “Skills4Job” program, designed to equip young people with essential digital skills and improve their readiness for the labor market. The program began with 51 participants in the port city of Toamasina and will gradually expand nationwide.

According to Stéphanie Delmotte, Minister of Digital Development, Posts, and Telecommunications, the free training provides participants with the tools needed to face the challenges of tomorrow’s digital economy.

This initiative aligns with the country’s Digital Strategic Plan (PSN) 2023–2028, which aims to make Madagascar a key player in Africa’s digital economy through advances in telecommunications, e-government, and digital inclusion. The World Bank estimates that about 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030 as the continent continues its digital transformation.

In September, the Minister of Technical Education and Vocational Training, Marie Marcelline Rasoloarisoa, announced plans to train 40,000 people in digital skills by 2028. Earlier, in February 2024, Madagascar signed a partnership agreement with the United Arab Emirates to train one million young people in new technologies.

Youth employment remains a major concern in Madagascar. According to Afrobarometer, more than four in ten Malagasy aged 18 to 35 were unemployed and actively seeking work in 2024. The study identified lack of adequate training or preparation (30%), lack of experience (27%), and mismatch between school qualifications and market needs (16%) as key barriers to employment.